catalectic, a. Pros.
(kætəˈlɛktɪk)
[ad. late L. catalēctic-us, a. Gr. καταληκτικός leaving off, incomplete, f. καταλήγειν to leave off, stop. Cf. F. catalectique.]
A. adj. Of a verse: Incomplete in its syllables; wanting a syllable in the last foot. Often in postposition in imitation of Latin. B. n. A catalectic line or verse.
| 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie (Arb.) 142 The Greekes and Latines vsed verses in the odde sillable of two sortes, which they called Catalecticke and Acatalecticke..the catalectik or maymed verse. 1631 B. Jonson Staple of News iv. iv, Pentameters, Hexameters, Catalecticks. 1842 Penny Cycl. XXIV. 228/1 The Iambic Tetrameter Catalectic. 1883 tr. Ten Brink's E.E. Lit. 155 The catalectic tetrameter, well known to antique poetry. 1903 Saintsbury Short Hist. Eng. Lit. (ed. 3) ii. ii. 52 A strict iambic form of tetrameter catalectic, or alternate dimeters acatalectic and catalectic. |