iambic, a. and n. Pros.
(aɪˈæmbɪk)
[a. F. iambique (1529 in Hatz.-Darm.) or ad. L. iambic-us, ad. Gr. ἰαµβικός, f. ἴαµβος iambus.]
A. adj.
1. Of a foot, verse, rhythm, etc.: Consisting of, characterized by, or based on iambuses.
iambic trimeter, a verse consisting of six iambuses (three dipodies) in the odd feet of which the iambus may be replaced by its metrical equivalent (the tribrach) or a spondee or its equivalent, the even feet being kept pure (though in Latin especially the licence of substitution was extended even to them).
| 1586 Webbe Eng. Poetrie (Arb.) 62 Ye shall perceiue them to containe in sound ye very propertie of Iambick feete, as thus... ‘{Ibreve} thāt m{ybreve} slēndĕr ōatĕn pīpe ĭn vērse wăs wōnt tŏ sōunde’. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 39 ¶5 Aristotle observes, that the Iambick Verse in the Greek Tongue was the most proper for Tragedy. 1755 Johnson Gram. Eng. Tongue, Prosody, The feet of our verses are either iambick, as ‘aloft, create’; or trochaick, as ‘holy, lofty’. 1789 Twining Aristotle's Treat. Poetry (1812) II. 445 The hexameter is but one third longer than the Iambic trimeter. 1869 Seeley Lect. & Ess. (1870) 176 The regular beat of the iambic cadence. |
2. Of a poet: Employing iambic metres.
| 1581 Sidney Apol. Poetrie (Arb.) 28 These be subdiuided into..the Heroick, Lirick, Tragick, Comick, Satirick, Iambick, Elegiack, Pastorall, and certaine others. Some of these being termed according to the matter they deale with, some by the sorts of verses they liked best to write in. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. ii. viii. 42 Hipponax the poet Iambique. 1633 P. Fletcher Purple Isl. i. xx, O let th' Iambick Muse revenge that wrong. |
B. n. (Usually pl.) An iambic foot, verse, or poem. Also transf., a piece of invective or satire in verse (cf. iambus).
| 1575 G. Harvey Letter-bk. (Camden) 100 In the nexte seate to thes hexameters, adonickes, and iambicks, I sett those that stand uppon the number, not in meter, such as my lorde of Surrey is sayde first to have putt forthe in prynte. 1651 Cleveland Poems 34 Come keen Iambicks, with your Badgers feet. 1671 Milton P.R. iv. 262 What the lofty grave tragedians taught, In Chorus or Iambic. 1682 Dryden Mac Flecknoe 204 Thy genius calls thee not to purchase fame In keen Iambics, but mild Anagram. 1809 Coleridge Metr. Feet 5 {Ibreve}āmbĭcs mārch frŏm shōrt tŏ lōng. |