Decasyllable

/ˌdɛkəˈsɪləbəl/ noun

Definition

A word or line of verse that contains ten syllables.

Etymology

From deca- (ten) + syllable (unit of sound in a word). Directly from Greek deka + syllabe. Common in classical and modern poetry terminology.

Kelly Says

Shakespeare loved decasyllables in his sonnets—ten syllables became the heartbeat of English iambic pentameter, the most musical line-length in English poetry.

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