| Main Entry: | iambic pentameter |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | a common meter in poetry consisting of an unrhymed line with five feet or accents, each foot containing an unaccented syllable and an accented syllable |
| Etymology: | French iambique 'of a foot or verse' and Greek pentameter 'measure of five' |
The most common meter in English verse. It consists of a line ten syllables long that is accented on every second beat (see blank verse). These lines in iambic pentameter are from The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare:
&Ibreve;n sóoth,/&Ibreve; knów/nŏt whý/&Ibreve; ám/sŏ sád.
&Ibreve;t wéa/riěs mé;/yŏu sáy/ĭt wéa/riěs yóu&ellipsis4;
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |