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giambo

iamb

noun JAHM-boh Rare
Arts & Culture Literature

Origin: From Greek iambos, of uncertain pre-Greek origin.

Usage Note

Giambo is the metrical foot consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one (short-long in quantitative metre), the basis of Greek iambic trimeter and later Italian verse experiments. The adjective form is giambico (verso giambico). In common Italian usage giambo is a specialist literary term; learners encounter it mainly in classical literature or prosody courses.

Examples

"Il giambo alterna sillaba breve e lunga."

Natural Translation

The iamb alternates a short and a long syllable.

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