terza rima

UK/ˌtɛːtsə ˈɹiːmə/US/ˌtɝtsə ˈɹimə/

noun

An arrangement of triplets, generally in iambic pentameter in English, with rhyme scheme aba bcb cdc.

Meanings

nounterza rima (usually uncountable, plural terze rime)

plural terze rime

  1. uncountableusuallycommunicationsAn arrangement of triplets, generally in iambic pentameter in English, with rhyme scheme aba bcb cdc.
    1 more example

    In attempting to make the ‘Divina Commedia’ better known to English readers, it might have been held only a fitting mark of deference to my original to reproduce it, if practicable, in the metre of the poet's own choice. But on the appearance of my ‘Inferno,’ its Terza Rima was denounced as the one ‘deleterious ingredient’ which corrupted the version throughout, […]

    1865, Dante Alighieri, “preface”, in John Dayman, transl., The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri: Translated in Terza Rima by John Dayman, page viii

Origin

  1. Italianterza rima
  2. Englishterza rima

Borrowed from Italian terza rima (literally “third rhyme”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian терцина
  • терцина (tercina)arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
Czech tercína
  • tercínaarrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
Danish terzine
  • terzinearrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
Estonian tertsiin
  • tertsiinarrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
Finnish tertsiini
  • tertsiiniarrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
French terza rima
  • terza rimaarrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
German Terzine
  • Terzinearrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
Hebrew טֶרצִינַה
  • טֶרצִינַה (tertzínah)arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
Hungarian tercina
  • tercinaarrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
Italian terza rima
  • terza rimaarrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
Japanese テルツァ・リーマ
  • テルツァ・リーマ (terutsa rīma)arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
Norwegian tersin
  • tersinarrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
Polish tercyna
  • tercynaarrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
Russian терци́на
  • терци́на (tercína)arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
Slovak tercína, tercet
  • tercínaarrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
  • tercetarrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
Spanish terceto encadenado
  • terceto encadenadoarrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
Swedish terzin
  • terzinarrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
Ukrainian терци́на
  • терци́на (tercýna)arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
Cite this entry
APA

terza rima. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/terza%20rima

MLA

“terza rima.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/terza%20rima. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “terza rima,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/terza%20rima.

Source: terza rima on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.