trimeter

[ trim-i-ter ]

noun

1. a verse of three measures or feet.

adjective

1. consisting of three measures or feet.
2. Classical Prosody. composed of six feet or three dipodies.

trimeter

/ ˈtrɪmɪtə /

noun

1. a verse line consisting of three metrical feet

adjective

1. designating such a line

Word History and Origins

Origin of trimeter¹

1560–70; < Latin trimetrus having three measures < Greek trímetros. See tri-, meter ²

Example Sentences

“So can I. But that passage is lovely and it’s because of the terza rima. The music of it. The trimeter tolls through that speech of Klytemnestra’s like a bell.”

From Literature

“But iambic trimeter is fairly common in Greek lyric, isn’t it?” said Julian.

From Literature

This is a variant on ballad measure, which is to say the stanza rhymes abcb and alternates tetrameter and trimeter phrasings.

From New York Times

But Wiman’s deceptively retrograde rhyme scheme conspires to move the reader to a conclusion that’s all the more harrowing for being set in sing-song trimeter.

From Slate

There is a hint of meter here—the second line can be scanned as iambic trimeter, and the last line of my selection, “Into the chamber behind the thought,” ends with two dactyls and two iambs.

From Salon