short metre

British  

noun

1. a stanza form, used esp for hymns, consisting of four lines, the third of which has eight syllables, while the rest have six

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Example Sentences

Short sermons, short prayers, short hymns, and short metre are peculiarly interesting.

From Continental Monthly, Vol. III, No IV, April 1863 Devoted to Literature and National Policy by Various

Thinks I, I don't cleverly know whether that indicates 'walk in,' or 'walk out,' it's plaguy short metre, that's a fact; but I'll see anyhow.

From The Clockmaker Or, the Sayings and Doings of Samuel Slick, of Slickville by Haliburton, Thomas Chandler

"My fair young lady," he said, "if your father, Gideon Hayle, were captain here he'd have those people off this boat in short metre."

From Gideon's Band A Tale of the Mississippi by Cable, George Washington

By a curious arrangement of brackets and the use of two kinds of print these psalms could be divided into two separate metres and could be sung to tunes of either long or short metre.

From Sabbath in Puritan New England by Earle, Alice Morse

He said, No, he could have a large force of infantry to help him there, in very short metre, if there was any sudden emergency.

From The Wound Dresser A Series of Letters Written from the Hospitals in Washington during the War of the Rebellion by Whitman, Walt