paeon

American  

[pee-uhn, -on] / ˈpi ən, -ɒn /

noun

1. Classical Prosody. a foot of one long and three short syllables in any order.

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paeon British  

/ ˈpiːən /

noun

1. prosody a metrical foot of four syllables, with one long one and three short ones in any order

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Other Word Forms

• paeonic adjective

Etymology

Origin of paeon

1595–1605; < Latin paeōn < Greek paiōn, Attic variant of paiā́n; see paean

Example Sentences

And then the movie – like all the great John Hughes movies, a paeon to the ambiguities of youth; the pleasures, the agonisies, the clothes, oh sweet Jesus the clothes.

From The Guardian • May 29, 2014

Instead it is a heart-wringing paeon to homesickness.

From The Guardian • May 30, 2010

The iambic, then, should be the leading number in those subjects which require a plain and simple style;—the paeon in such as require more compass and elevation; and the dactyl is equally applicable to both.

From Cicero's Brutus or History of Famous Orators; also His Orator, or Accomplished Speaker. by Jones, E.

For a moment the lawyer felt an exultant paeon of victory beat in his blood.

From The Vision Splendid by Raine, William MacLeod

For those who pass over the paeon, do not perceive that a most delicate, and at the same time most dignified rhythm is passed over by them.

From The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, Volume 4 by Cicero, Marcus Tullius