Distichal

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to a distich, which is a pair of lines of verse forming a complete unit
2. Describing a couplet, meaning two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme or share a metrical pattern
3. Of or belonging to a pair of verse lines considered together as a single poetic unit

Etymology: "Distichal" is an adjective formed from "distich," a pair of lines of verse that together form a complete unit, usually with a shared rhyme or meter. The noun "distich" was borrowed into English from Latin "distichon," which came from Greek "distichos," literally "having two rows" or "two-lined," built from "di-" meaning "two" and "stichos" meaning "row" or "line," the same root that gives English "stich" and "acrostic." The adjective "distichal" follows the usual English pattern of adding "-al" to a noun to mean "relating to" that noun. So a distichal arrangement is one that pertains to a couplet, such as a verse form built from pairs of lines or a poem organized in couplets.