‖ terza rima
(ˈtɛrtsa ˈrima)
[It., = ‘third rime’.]
An Italian form of iambic verse, consisting of sets of three lines, the middle line of each set riming with the first and last of the succeeding (a b a, b c b, c d c, etc.).
| 1819 Byron Proph. Dante Pref., The measure adopted is the terza rima of Dante. 1869 H. F. Tozer Highl. Turkey II. 252 Italian in Dante's time rendered more manageable the intricacies of the terza rima. |