Metre

mē′tėr, n. that regulated succe ion of certain groups of syllables in which poetry is usually written—these groups of long and short ( cla ical ) or accented ( English ) syllables being called feet : rhythm: verse, or poetry generally: a plan of versification, the character of a stanza as consisting of a given number of lines composed of feet of a given number, construction, and accent: musical time.— adjs. Met′ric , -al , pertaining to metre or to metrology: consisting of verses.— adv. Met′rically .— ns. Metric′ian , Met′ricist , one skilled in metres, one who writes in metre; Met′rics , the art or science of versification; Metrificā′tion . ( Tenn. ), the act of making verses; Met′rifier , a versifier; Met′rist , one skilled in metres, a skilful versifier; Metromā′nia , a mania for writing verses.— Common metre , the stanza forming a quatrain in eights and sixes, of four and of three iambic feet alternately—also Service metre , from its use in the metrical psalms, ., and Ballad metre , from its use in old romances and ballads; Long metre , an octosyllabic quatrain, the four lines with four feet each; Short metre , the quatrain in sixes, with the third line octosyllabic. [Fr.,—L. metrum —Gr. metron .]