catalectic

C3A1T1A1L1E1C3T1I1C3

adjective

(said of a line with incomplete meter) lacking a syllable at the end or ending with an incomplete foot.

Opposite
hypercatalecticacatalectic
OriginLatin catalecticus ← Ancient Greek καταληκτικός →
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

adjective
  1. human sciences(said of a line with incomplete meter) lacking a syllable at the end or ending with an incomplete foot.
  2. incomplete; partial; not affecting the whole of a substance

    The process is not practised to any extent , but is a curious example of a catalectic action started by the impact of light

    1878, William de Wiveleslie Abney, A treatise on photography
nouncatalectic (plural catalectics)

plural catalectics

  1. communicationsA line with incomplete meter, lacking a syllable at the end or ending with an incomplete foot.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjective(verse) metrically incomplete; especially lacking one or more syllables in the final metrical foot

Opposite
hypercatalecticacatalectic

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekκαταληκτικός“leaving off, incomplete”
  2. Latincatalecticus
  3. Englishcatalectic

From Latin catalecticus, from Ancient Greek καταληκτικός (katalēktikós, “leaving off, incomplete”) from κατάληξις (katálēxis).

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

German katalektisch
  • katalektischof poetry
Italian cataletto
  • catalettoof poetry
Latin catalecticus, catalectus
  • catalecticusof poetry
  • catalectusof poetry
  • colobus or colobosof poetry
Polish katalektyczny, kataleksa
  • katalektycznyof poetry
  • kataleksaTranslations

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with catalectic

eclectichecticdialecticsymplecticeutecticsmecticanorecticapoplecticpecticacatalecticacathecticanalecticanatecticantiapoplecticanticachecticanticataplecticanticathecticantiplecticbrachycatalecticcachecticcataplecticcatatecticcathecticcosymplectic
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

catalectic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catalectic

MLA

“catalectic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catalectic. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “catalectic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catalectic.

Source: catalectic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.