Archilochian

1 of 2

adjective

Ar·​chi·​lo·​chi·​an
¦ärkə̇¦lōkēən
1
a
: of or relating to Archilochus
b
: trenchant, sarcastic, bitter
2
: marked by use of Archilochians or of Archilochian strophes

Archilochian

2 of 2

noun

"
plural -s
: a verse form ascribed to Archilochus: such as
a
: a line composed of a dactylic tetrapody followed by a trochaic tripody

called also greater Archilochian

b
: a dactylic tripody catalectic
—sometimes called also lesser Archilochian
c
: a dactylic tetrapody with spondee or trochee as the fourth foot
d
: a dicolon composed of a complete prosodiac followed by an ithyphallic

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Archilochus, 7th century b.c. Greek poet (from Latin, from Greek Archilochos) + English -ian

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Dictionary Entries Near Archilochian

archil

Archilochian

archilochian strophe

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Cite this Entry

“Archilochian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Archilochian. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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