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Definition of penult - 2 dictionary results

pe⋅nult

  [pee-nuhlt, pi-nuhlt]
Use penult in a Sentence
–noun
the next to the last syllable in a word.
Also, pe⋅nul⋅ti⋅ma  [pi-nuhl-tuh-muh] .

Origin:
1530–40; < L paenultima (syllaba), contr. of paene ultima almost the last; see pen-, ultima
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To penult
pe·nult   (pē'nŭlt', pĭ-nŭlt')   
n.  

  1. The next to the last item in a series.

  2. The next to the last syllable in a word.


[Short for penultima, from Latin paenultima, feminine of paenultimus, next to last : paene, almost + ultimus, last; see ultimate.]
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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