rhopalic

1 of 2

adjective

rho·​pal·​ic

variants or ropalic

(ˈ)rō¦palik

: having each succeeding unit in a prosodic series larger or longer than the preceding one:

a

: having each successive word in a line or verse longer by one syllable than its predecessor

b

: having successive lines of a stanza increasing in length by the addition of one element (as a syllable or metrical foot)

rhopalic

2 of 2

noun

"

plural -s

: a rhopalic line, verse, or stanza

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Late Latin rhopalicus, from Greek, rhopalikos rhopalic, like a club (i.e., thicker toward the end), from rhopalon club + -ikos -ic; perhaps akin to Greek rhabdos rod

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