noun
- Plural of iambus; metrical feet, each consisting of two syllables with the stress on the second syllable (unstressed-stressed).
Usage: Used in poetry and prosody; also spelled 'iambi' as an alternative plural form.
Examples
- The poem is written in iambuses, giving it a natural, speech-like rhythm.
- Shakespeare frequently used iambuses in his sonnets and dramatic verse.
- Students learning meter must identify iambuses in classic English poetry.
- The line 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day' contains five iambuses.
- Iambuses are the most common metrical foot in English verse.