ictus

[ ik-tuhs ]

noun

, plural ic·tus·es, ic·tus.

1. Prosody. rhythmical or metrical stress.
2. Pathology.
   1. an epileptic seizure.
   2. a stroke, especially a cerebrovascular accident.

ictus

/ ˈɪktəs /

noun

1. prosody metrical or rhythmic stress in verse feet, as contrasted with the stress accent on words
2. med a sudden attack or stroke

Derived Forms

• ˈictal, adjective

Other Words From

• ictic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ictus¹

1700–10; < Latin: stroke, thrust, equivalent to īc ( ere ) to strike with a weapon + -tus suffix of v. action

Word History and Origins

Origin of ictus¹

C18: from Latin icere to strike

Example Sentences

More recently, the outstanding Belgian new music ensemble Ictus has been touring in Europe a concert performance in an installation art setting with the singer Suzanne Vega taking all the spoken parts.

From Los Angeles Times

Ms. De Keersmaeker, a renowned Belgian choreographer, emerged in the 1980s with exacting, cerebral dances, performed with her company, Rosas, and often featuring live music by the Ictus Ensemble.

From New York Times

On Tuesday, I watched a powerful sextet at atrium level: the dancers of Rosas jetted past me, and sidestepped other spectators, while Ictus let loose with fortissimo bursts and scrambled aftershocks.

From New York Times

Originally 60 minutes, the new version is a nine-hour cycle in which each hour features a different iteration of the choreography using seven dancers from Ms. De Keersmaeker’s company, Rosas, and seven musicians from the Ictus ensemble.

From New York Times

The instrumentalists, from the Belgian ensemble Ictus, played the first part alone; then the dancers performed a silent sequence that, one gradually realized, matched the preceding music.

From The New Yorker