rhopalic
1 of 2adjective
rho·pal·ic
variants or ropalic
(ˈ)rō¦palik
: having each succeeding unit in a prosodic series larger or longer than the preceding one:
a
: having each successive word in a line or verse longer by one syllable than its predecessor
b
: having successive lines of a stanza increasing in length by the addition of one element (as a syllable or metrical foot)
rhopalic
2 of 2noun
"
plural -s
: a rhopalic line, verse, or stanza
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Late Latin rhopalicus, from Greek, rhopalikos rhopalic, like a club (i.e., thicker toward the end), from rhopalon club + -ikos -ic; perhaps akin to Greek rhabdos rod