octosyllabic

[ ok-toh-si-lab-ik ]

adjective

1. consisting of or pertaining to eight syllables.

noun

1. an octosyllable.

Word History and Origins

Origin of octosyllabic¹

1765–75; < Late Latin octōsyllab ( us ) (< Greek, equivalent to oktō- octo- + -syllabos syllabic ) + -ic

Example Sentences

He revived the measure known as dcimas or espinelas, consisting of a stanza of ten octosyllabic lines.

From Project Gutenberg

He soon takes up the simple octosyllabic couplet, treated, however, with great freedom.

From Project Gutenberg

Most of the jongleurs who wrote these merry and indecent tales in octosyllabic verse were persons of less distinction.

From Project Gutenberg

The change is marked by a return to blank verse: the previous lines are mostly in octosyllabic couplets.

From Project Gutenberg

Dcimas are strophes of ten octosyllabic verses with the rhyme-scheme a b b a a c c d d c.

From Project Gutenberg