1. a metrical foot in classical poetry consisting of four syllables, with one long syllable and three short syllables in various arrangements
Usage: prosody; technical

Examples

• The poet used a paeon to create a distinctive rhythmic pattern in the verse.
• Students of classical literature must learn to identify different metrical feet, including the paeon.
• The paeon appears less frequently than iambs or trochees in English poetry.
• Ancient Greek poetry often employed the paeon for ceremonial hymns.
• The fourth paeon has the long syllable in the final position.