‖ septenarius Pros.
(sɛptɪˈnɛərɪəs)
Pl. -arii (-ˈɛərɪaɪ).
[L. septēnārius, f. septēnī, distributive of septem seven.]
A line of seven feet, esp. the trochaic or iambic tetrameter catalectic.
| 1819 Carey Lat. Pros. 273 The Catalectic Trochaic Tetrameter (called likewise Quadratus, Octonarius, and Septenarius) consists of seven feet..followed by a catalectic syllable... It is..only the Iambic Octonarius wanting the first syllable. 1872 Kennedy tr. Ten Brink's Hist. Eng. Lit. 267 [In the southern English lives of saints] regular septenarii or tetrameters are more rarely found. 1894 Gildersleeve's Lat. Gram. §770 The strict Septenarius of the later poets keeps the odd feet pure. 1897 J. H. Gray Plautus' Trinummus p. xxv, Trochaic septenarii. |