1. The stressed or accented part of a metrical foot in poetry or music.
Usage: technical; prosody and music theory
2. In classical Greek and Latin verse, the raising of the voice or the upward movement of the hand in marking time.
Usage: archaic; classical philology

Examples

• In the word 'TEN-der,' the arsis falls on the first syllable.
• The poet emphasized the arsis of each iambic foot to create a strong rhythm.
• Musicians use arsis and thesis to understand the structure of a musical phrase.
• The arsis in classical meter corresponded to the elevation of the conductor's hand.
• Understanding arsis is essential for analyzing metrical patterns in poetry.