spondee

noun

spon·​dee ˈspän-ˌdē How to pronounce spondee (audio)
: a metrical foot consisting of two long or stressed syllables
spondaic adjective or noun

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sponde, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French spondee, from Latin spondeum, from Greek spondeios, from spondeios of a libation, from spondē libation, from spendein to make a libation; from its use in music accompanying libations — more at spouse

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spondee was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near spondee

Cite this Entry

“Spondee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spondee. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

spondee

noun
spon·​dee ˈspän-ˌdē How to pronounce spondee (audio)
: a metrical foot consisting of two accented syllables (as in tom-tom)
spondaic adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on spondee

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!