arsis

ar·sis  (ärss)

n. pl. ar·ses (-sz)

1.

a. The short or unaccented part of a metrical foot, especially in quantitative verse.

b. The accented or long part of a metrical foot, especially in accentual verse.

2. Music The upbeat or unaccented part of a measure.

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[Middle English, raising of the voice, from Late Latin, raising of the voice, accented part of a metrical foot, from Greek, raising of the foot (marking the upbeat), the unaccented part of a metrical foot, from aeirein, to lift; see wer-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

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arsis [ˈɑːsɪs]

n pl -ses [-siːz]

(Literature / Poetry) (in classical prosody) the long syllable or part on which the ictus falls in a metrical foot Compare thesis [6]

[via Late Latin from Greek, from airein to raise]

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arsis

the accented part of a foot of verse.

See also: Verse