US /ˈpiːən/ UK /ˈpiːən/
noun Freq #1180350

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    a metrical foot of four syllables with one long or stressed syllable and three short or unstressed syllables

    The class marked the stressed syllable in each paeon before reading the verse aloud.

Thesaurus

Word family
Forms paeonic
Derived forms paeonic
Related forms meterprosodymetrical footdactyl

Etymology

From Latin paeon, from Greek paion or paian, a name connected with a hymn to Apollo. The prosodic term came to denote a four-syllable foot whose single prominent syllable may occupy any of four positions.

Topics

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