pentameter
Meaning
A line of verse consisting of five metrical feet.
Structure
Usage
The poem is written in iambic pentameter.
He struggled to maintain a consistent pentameter throughout the sonnet.
The shift from tetrameter to pentameter gave the verse a more stately pace.
Etymology
The word 'pentameter' is a direct compound of two Greek elements, 'penta-' (five) and '-meter' (measure). In classical prosody, it was used to describe a specific poetic line measured in five units. The term entered English via Latin 'pentameter', where it was adopted to describe a verse line of five metrical feet. This logical construction, literally meaning "five measures," precisely defines its technical role in the analysis of poetic rhythm.
Analysis
penta (from Greek πέντε, meaning "five") + meter (from Greek μέτρον, meaning "measure").