leonine verse

noun

1
: Latin verse in which the last word in the line rhymes with the word just before the middle caesura (as in "gloria factorum temere conceditus horum")
2
: English verse in which the end of the line rhymes with a sound occurring near the middle of the line (as in Tennyson's "the long light shakes across the lakes")

Word History

Etymology

probably from French léonin, from Middle French, from Old French

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Dictionary Entries Near leonine verse

Cite this Entry

“Leonine verse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leonine%20verse. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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