spondaic

American  

[spon-dey-ik] / spɒnˈdeɪ ɪk /

Sometimes spondaical

adjective

Prosody.

1. of or relating to a spondee.

2. noting or constituting a spondee.

3. consisting of spondees; characterized by a spondee or spondees.

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spondaic British  

/ spɒnˈdeɪɪk /

adjective

1. prosody of, relating to, or consisting of spondees

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Etymology

Origin of spondaic

1715–25; < Late Latin spondaicus, metathetic variant of spondīacus < Greek spondeiakós, equivalent to spondeî ( os ) spondee + -akos, variant of -ikos -ic

Example Sentences

In the series of dactylic lines 17-22, Catullus no doubt intended to convey the idea of rapidity, as, in the spondaic line immediately following, of labour.

From The Poems and Fragments of Catullus by Ellis, Robinson

Similarly, in the second line, "rushed forth," which an English tongue would here deliver as a spondee—rūshed fōrth—varies the rhythm by this spondaic intervention, but still leaves us the original rhythmic cluster, "into the Strand."

From The English Novel And the Principle of its Development by Lanier, Sidney

But in both cases I preferred to lock up by the massy spondaic variety; yet never forgetting to premise a dancing dactyle—'many a'—and 'pinion of.'

From The Posthumous Works of Thomas De Quincey, Vol. 1 by Japp, Alexander H. (Alexander Hay)

The spondaic line, rarely used by Ovid, almost discarded by Lucan, but which reappears in Statius, is sparingly employed by Valerius.

From The History of Roman Literature From the earliest period to the death of Marcus Aurelius by Cruttwell, Charles Thomas

The result so far attained has been unsatisfactory, for the rhythms are all given as spondaic.

From Critical and Historical Essays Lectures delivered at Columbia University by Baltzell, W. J. (Winton James)