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catalexis

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cat⋅a⋅lex⋅is

[kat-l-ek-sis]
–noun, plural cat⋅a⋅lex⋅es [kat-lek-seez] . Prosody.
the absence of a syllable at the beginning or end of a line of metrical verse resulting in an incomplete foot, most often occurring in the last foot at the end of a verse; a catalectic line.

Origin:
1820–30; < Gk katálēxis ending, final syllable; see catalectic, -sis
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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cat·a·lex·is   (kāt'l-ěk'sĭs)   
n.   pl. cat·a·lex·es (-sēz')
The absence of one or more syllables in a line of verse, especially in the last foot.

[Greek katalēxis, from katalēgein, to leave off; see catalectic.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

catalexis

in prosody, an omission or incompleteness in the last foot of a line or other unit in metrical verse and, conversely, the metrical completeness of such a unit

Learn more about catalexis with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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