Meanings
nounottava rima (usually uncountable, plural ottave rime)
plural ottave rime
- uncountableusuallycommunicationsAn arrangement of stanzas of eight lines in heroic verse, with three rhymes, the first six lines rhyming alternately and the last two forming a couplet (ab ab ab cc).
Synonyms: ottava
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn arrangement of stanzas of eight lines in heroic verse, with three rhymes, the first six lines rhyming alternately and the last two forming a couplet (ab ab ab cc).
Similar
Origin
- Italianottava rima
- Englishottava rima
Borrowed from Italian ottava rima (literally “eighth rhyme”).
More words from Italian
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan octava reial
- octava reialarrangement of stanzas of eight lines rhyming ab ab ab cc
Czech stance, ottava rima
- stancearrangement of stanzas of eight lines rhyming ab ab ab cc
- ottava rimaarrangement of stanzas of eight lines rhyming ab ab ab cc
Finnish ottave rime
- ottave rimearrangement of stanzas of eight lines rhyming ab ab ab cc
French ottava rima
- ottava rimaarrangement of stanzas of eight lines rhyming ab ab ab cc
German Oktave, Stanze
- Oktavearrangement of stanzas of eight lines rhyming ab ab ab cc
- Stanzearrangement of stanzas of eight lines rhyming ab ab ab cc
Greek οκτάβα
- οκτάβα (oktáva)arrangement of stanzas of eight lines rhyming ab ab ab cc
Hebrew אוֹטַאבַה רִימַה
- אוֹטַאבַה רִימַה (otávah rímah)arrangement of stanzas of eight lines rhyming ab ab ab cc
Italian ottava rima
- ottava rimaarrangement of stanzas of eight lines rhyming ab ab ab cc
Japanese オッターヴァ・リーマ
- オッターヴァ・リーマ (ottāva rīma)arrangement of stanzas of eight lines rhyming ab ab ab cc
Polish oktawa
- oktawaarrangement of stanzas of eight lines rhyming ab ab ab cc
Russian окта́ва
- окта́ва (oktáva)arrangement of stanzas of eight lines rhyming ab ab ab cc
Spanish octava real
- octava realarrangement of stanzas of eight lines rhyming ab ab ab cc
Swedish stans
- stansarrangement of stanzas of eight lines rhyming ab ab ab cc
Ukrainian окта́ва
- окта́ва (oktáva)arrangement of stanzas of eight lines rhyming ab ab ab cc
Cite this entry
APA
ottava rima. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ottava%20rima
MLA
“ottava rima.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ottava%20rima. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ottava rima,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ottava%20rima.
Source: ottava rima on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.