Hexameter
/hɛkˈsæmɪtər/noun
A metrical line of verse made up of six metrical feet, especially in classical epic poetry.
Did you know?Hexameter comes from Greek poetry, where its rolling six-beat structure powered epics like Homer’s, making meter itself feel almost like a ritual incantation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sweks
“six”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἑξάμετρον (hexámetron)
“six-measured verse”
Late Latin
Latin
hexametrum
“hexameter verse”
Middle English
English
hexametre
“a line of verse of six feet”
Modern English
English
hexameter
“a line of verse consisting of six metrical feet”
Explore more surprising origins