Meanings
plural hemistichs · plural hemistiches
- An approximate half-line of verse, separated from another by a caesura, often for dramatic effect.
1 more example
[…] I would first agree with [Earl] Wasserman that the last line ["[shapes] Which walk upon the sea, and chaunt melodiously"] alludes to Jesus walking on water, the point of the allusion being the kerygmatic expression of a form of transcendence, which is more or less specified by the way the other hemistych of this remarkably balanced thirteener – "and chaunt melodiously" – recalls how it is on the breath of enamored air and song that all the vigorously launched members and voices of this scene are sustaining their courses.
2011, Edward T. Duffy, “Recounting Reverses, Recovering the Initiative: Act II of Prometheus Unbound”, in The Constitution of Shelley’s Poetry: The Argument of Language in Prometheus Unbound (Anthem Nineteenth-century Series), London; New York, N.Y.: Anthem Press, →ISBN, page 144 - An unfinished line of verse.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἡμιστίχιον
- Latinhēmistichium
- Frenchhémistiche
- Englishhemistich
From French hémistiche, from Latin hēmistichium, from Ancient Greek ἡμιστίχιον (hēmistíkhion), from ἡμι- (hēmi-, “half”) + στίχος (stíkhos, “verse”).
More words from French, Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic مِصْرَاع
- مِصْرَاع (miṣrāʕ)approximate half-line of verse
Bulgarian полусти́шие
- полусти́шие (polustíšie)approximate half-line of verse
Catalan hemistiqui
- hemistiquiapproximate half-line of verse
Finnish puolisäe
- puolisäeapproximate half-line of verse
French hémistiche
- hémisticheapproximate half-line of verse
German Halbvers
- Halbversapproximate half-line of verse
Italian emistichio, emistichio
- emistichioapproximate half-line of verse
- emistichiounfinished line of verse
Portuguese hemistíquio
- hemistíquioapproximate half-line of verse
Spanish hemistiquio, hemistiquio
- hemistiquioapproximate half-line of verse
- hemistiquiounfinished line of verse
Swedish halvvers, hemistik
- halvversapproximate half-line of verse
- hemistikapproximate half-line of verse
- halvversunfinished line of verse
- hemistikunfinished line of verse
Cite this entry
hemistich. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hemistich
“hemistich.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hemistich. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hemistich,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hemistich.
Source: hemistich on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.