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anapest (n.)
also anapaest, "two short or unaccented syllables followed by a long or accented one," 1670s, from Latin anapaestus, from Greek anapaistos "struck back, rebounding," as a noun "an anapest," verbal adjective from anapaiein "to strike back," from ana- "back" (see ana-) + paiein "to strike" (from PIE root *pau- (2) "to cut, strike, stamp"). So called because it is a dactyl reversed.
updated on October 19, 2017
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Dictionary entries near anapest
anan
ananda
Ananias
ananym
anapeiratic
anapest
anapestic
anaphalantiasis
anaphase
anaphora
anaphoric