octosyllable

O1C3T1O1S1Y4L1L1A1B3L1E1

noun

line of verse with eight syllables

OriginEnglish syllable ← Latin octō ← Proto-Italic *oktō →
Scrabble 19
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Meanings

nounoctosyllable (plural octosyllables)

plural octosyllables

  1. communicationsline of verse with eight syllables

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*oḱtṓw
  2. Proto-Hellenic*oktṓ
  3. Ancient Greekὀκτώ (oktṓ)
  4. Proto-Indo-European*oḱtṓw
  5. Proto-Italic*oktō
  6. Latinoctō
  7. Englishocto-
  8. Englishsyllable
  9. Englishoctosyllable

From octo- + syllable.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Swedish åttastaving
  • åttastavingline of verse with eight syllables
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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