strophe

[ stroh-fee ]

noun

1. the part of an ancient Greek choral ode sung by the chorus when moving from right to left.
2. the movement performed by the chorus during the singing of this part.
3. the first of the three series of lines forming the divisions of each section of a Pindaric ode.
4. (in modern poetry) any separate section or extended movement in a poem, distinguished from a stanza in that it does not follow a regularly repeated pattern.

strophe

/ ˈstrəʊfɪ /

noun

1. in ancient Greek drama
   1. the first of two movements made by a chorus during the performance of a choral ode
   2. the first part of a choral ode sung during this movement
2. (in classical verse) the first division of the threefold structure of a Pindaric ode
3. the first of two metrical systems used alternately within a poem

Word History and Origins

Origin of strophe¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Greek strophḗ “a twist, turning about,” akin to stréphein “to turn”; strepto-

Word History and Origins

Origin of strophe¹

C17: from Greek: a verse, literally: a turning, from strephein to twist

Synonym Study

See verse.

Example Sentences

This is the center of the middle strophe of these three songs, the creation of a third person by a couple.

From New York Times

In his word-drunk universe, “news” hooks up with “chartreuse,” “strophes” wins “trophies” and “rival” gets “adjectival.”

From New York Times

He treats the work as a study in shifting colors, emphasizing the contrasting textures of each strophe, from harplike passages to rich orchestral sonorities.

From Washington Post

Dressed in silver halters, robed in see-through shifts, they danced, reciting strophes that didn’t scan to the eerie piping of flutes.

From Literature

The deceased was the tragic hero, the survivors the innocent victims; there was the omnipresence of the deity, strophe and antistrophe of the chorus of mourners led by the preacher.

From Literature

Related Words

• verse