terza rima

[ tert-suh ree-muh; Italian ter-tsah ree-mah ]

noun

, Prosody.

1. an Italian form of iambic verse consisting of eleven-syllable lines arranged in tercets, the middle line of each tercet rhyming with the first and last lines of the following tercet.

terza rima

/ ˈtɛətsə ˈriːmə /

noun

1. a verse form of Italian origin consisting of a series of tercets in which the middle line of one tercet rhymes with the first and third lines of the next

Word History and Origins

Origin of terza rima¹

1810–20; < Italian: third rhyme

Word History and Origins

Origin of terza rima¹

C19: from Italian, literally: third rhyme