caesura

[ si-zhoo r-uh, -zoo r-uh, siz-yoo r-uh ]
/ sɪˈʒʊər ə, -ˈzʊər ə, sɪzˈyʊər ə /

noun, plural cae·su·ras, cae·su·rae [si-zhoo r-ee, -zoo r-ee, siz-yoo r-ee] /sɪˈʒʊər i, -ˈzʊər i, sɪzˈyʊər i/.

Prosody. a break, especially a sense pause, usually near the middle of a verse, and marked in scansion by a double vertical line, as in know then thyselfpresume not God to scan.
Classical Prosody. a division made by the ending of a word within a foot, or sometimes at the end of a foot, especially in certain recognized places near the middle of a verse.
any break, pause, or interruption.
Also cesura.

Origin of caesura

1550–60; < Latin, equivalent to caes(us) cut (past participle of caedere) ( caed- cut + -tus past participle suffix) + -ūra -ure

OTHER WORDS FROM caesura

cae·su·ral, cae·su·ric, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for caesura

British Dictionary definitions for caesura

caesura
/ (sɪˈzjʊərə) /

noun plural -ras or -rae (-riː)

(in modern prosody) a pause, esp for sense, usually near the middle of a verse line Usual symbol: ||
(in classical prosody) a break between words within a metrical foot, usually in the third or fourth foot of the line

Derived forms of caesura

caesural, adjective

Word Origin for caesura

C16: from Latin, literally: a cutting, from caedere to cut