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A change in the letters or syllables of a word.

Transposition, as of the letters or syllables of a word; as, pistris for pristis; meagre for meager.

Rhythmical arrangement of syllables or words into verses, stanzas, strophes, etc.; poetical measure, depending on number, quantity, and accent of syllables; rhythm; measure; verse; also, any specific rhythmical arrangements; as, the Horatian meters; a dactylic meter. The only strict antithesis to prose is meter. Wordsw…

A syllable applied to the third tone of the scale of C, i. e., to E, in European solmization, but to the third tone of any scale in the American system.

A foot of three long syllables. [Written also molosse.]

Being a monosyllable, or composed of monosyllables; as, a monosyllabic word; a monosyllabic language. -- Mon`o*syl*lab"ic*al*ly, adv.

The state of consisting of monosyllables, or having a monosyllabic form; frequent occurrence of monosyllables.

The utterance of successive syllables, words, or sentences, on one unvaried key or line of pitch.

obscure and indefinite quality, such as is commonly taken by the vowel in many unaccented syllables. It is regarded by some as identical with the û in up, and is called also the natural vowel, as unformed by art and effort. See Guide to Pronunciation, § 17.

That which is regulated by count; poetic measure, as divisions of time or number of syllables; hence, poetry, verse; -- chiefly used in the plural. I lisped in numbers, for the numbers came. Pope.

Consisting of or containing eight syllables.

A mystic syllable or ejaculation used by Hindus and Buddhists in religious rites, -- orig. among the Hindus an exclamation of assent, like Amen, then an invocation, and later a symbol of the trinity formed by Vishnu, Siva, and Brahma. -- Om mani padme hun, a sacred formula of buddhism (esp. of the Lamaists) translated…

Having an acute sound; (Gr. Gram.), having an acute accent on the last syllable.

A foot of four syllables, one long and three short, admitting of four combinations, according to the place of the long syllable. [Written also, less correctly, pæan.]

The addition of a letter or syllable to the end of a word, as withouten for without.

The addition of a syllable or particle to the end of a pronoun, verb, or adverb.

Having the same number of syllables in all its inflections.

A word having an acute accent on the penultimate syllable.

The last syllable but one of a word; the syllable preceding the final one.

Last but one; as, the penultimate syllable, the last syllable but one of a word.