Hypermetric

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing verse or music that contains an extra metrical beat or syllable beyond the expected pattern, so the rhythm runs longer than usual
2. Characterizing a line of poetry or a musical phrase that exceeds its standard metrical length by one or more beats
3. Having a rhythmic structure with surplus beats or syllables, departing from the regular meter of a poem or musical passage

Etymology: "Hypermetric" is formed from "hyper-," a prefix from Greek "hyper" meaning "over" or "beyond," and "metric," which comes from Greek "metron," meaning "measure." Put together, the word describes something that goes beyond the normal measure of a line of verse. In prosody, the study of verse rhythm, a hypermetric syllable or foot is one that falls outside the regular metrical pattern of a line. Poets and critics use the term to describe extra unstressed syllables tacked onto the end of a line, or irregular feet that do not fit the standard count. Because the word is built transparently from two familiar parts, its sense is easy to reconstruct even for readers who have never met it before.