acatalectic, a. Pros.
(əkætəˈlɛktɪk)
[ad. late L. acatalēctic-us ad. Gr. ἀκατάληκτ-ος (negat. of κατάληκτος: see catalectic).]
Not catalectic; not wanting a syllable in the last foot; complete in its syllables: also subst. ‘A verse, which has the complete number of syllables, without defect or superfluity.’ J.
| 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie (1869) 142 The Greekes and Latines vsed verses..which they called Catalecticke and Acatalecticke. 1751 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Catalectic, The antients called Catalectic Verses, those which wanted either feet or syllables; in opposition to Acatalectics, which are complete verses, wanting nothing. 1859 Donaldson Gr. Gram. §656 The most important, and perhaps the oldest species of iambic verse, was the Trimeter Acatalectic. |