Anacrusis
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
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- n anacrusis In prosody, an upward beat at the beginning of a verse, consisting of either one or two unaccented syllables, regarded as separate from and introductory to the remainder of the verse.
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Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary
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- n Anacrusis an-a-krōō′sis (pros.) an upward beat at the beginning of a verse, consisting of one or two unaccented syllables introductory to the just rhythm.
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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
Gr. , fr. to push up or back; + to strike
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary
Gr. from ana, up, krou-ein, to strike.
In literature:
This may be trochaic with anacrusis or iambic with feminine endings, but neither quite adequately describes it.
"The Principles of English Versification" by Paull Franklin Baum
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