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Added 10 October 2026

anacrusis

/anəˈkɹuːsɪs/ noun

Categories: Obscure Words

Latin root: from Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about anacrusis at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. An unstressed syllable at the start of a verse.
  2. An unstressed note or notes before the first strong beat (or downbeat) of a phrase.

Origin

Via New Latin from Ancient Greek ἀνάκρουσις (anákrousis, “pushing up”), from ἀνακρούω (anakroúō, “I push up”), from ἀνά (aná, “up”) + κρούω (kroúō, “I strike”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Related Words: accentanisosyllabismanapæstanapaestanapaesticanaphoraacatalexisarsisanapestanaptyxisanacreonticepanastrophe

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