Meaning & use
pentameter
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Meaning
nouncountabletechnical
A line of poetry that has five metrical feet.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a pentameter, pentameters, or the pentameter when referring to the pattern.
Patterns
- a line of pentameter
- write in pentameter
- iambic pentameter
The poem is written in pentameter, with five stresses in each line.
Many English sonnets use iambic pentameter, where each line has five pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables.
The teacher asked us to identify the pentameter in the opening lines.
Word forms
| plural | pentameters |
|---|
Common combinations
- iambic pentameter
- Shakespeare's sonnets are famous for their iambic pentameter.
- in pentameter
- The whole speech is written in pentameter.
- a line of pentameter
- Each line of pentameter has exactly five feet.
- write in pentameter
- She chose to write in pentameter to give the poem a steady rhythm.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- pentametric adjective
- Relating to or written in pentameter.
Commonly confused: pentameter or parameter? pentameter or pentathlon?
pentameter vs parameter
Parameter is a mathematical or limiting factor, while pentameter is a line of verse with five feet.
pentameter vs pentathlon
Pentathlon is an athletic contest with five events; pentameter is a poetic line with five metrical feet.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'pentameter' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Pentameter means a line of verse with five metrical feet, so 'iambic pentameter' is correct. 'Parameter' and 'pentathlon' are different words, and 'ten feet' contradicts the meaning of pentameter.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pentameter”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.