What does dimeter mean?
A dimeter is a line of verse made up of exactly two metrical feet, making it one of the shortest regular line lengths in traditional prosody. The word also serves as an adjective describing poetry written in such lines, as in 'iambic dimeter' or 'trochaic dimeter'. Because each line carries only two feet — for example, two iambs in a line such as Shakespearean fragmentary dialogue or many hymn metres — dimeter produces a compact, often quick-moving rhythm well suited to song lyrics, children's verse, and classical lyric forms. Ancient Greek and Latin poets used dimeter frequently, particularly in lyric and dramatic passages, and English hymn writers adopted the metre for its singable brevity. Today the term belongs mainly to the vocabulary of prosody, poetics, and literary scholarship rather than casual conversation, but it remains essential for anyone analysing metre or versification.
A line of verse consisting of two metrical feet.
"The chorus was written in iambic dimeter throughout."
Often preceded by the name of the foot, e.g. 'iambic dimeter' or 'trochaic dimeter'.
Composed of or relating to lines of two metrical feet.
"She analysed the poem's dimeter structure in her thesis."
The plural refers to multiple dimeter lines or instances of the metre, as when discussing several lines of a poem.
"The hymn alternates long lines with short dimeters."
Shrink a line of poetry to just two metrical feet and you have a dimeter — small enough that entire poems can be built from lines shorter than most sentences.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dimeter
The word dimeter derives from the ancient Greek 'dimetros', formed from 'di-' meaning 'two' and 'metron' meaning 'measure'. It passed into Latin before entering English in the early modern period as part of the vocabulary of classical prosody. It shares its root with other metrical terms borrowed from the same Greek source, including pentameter, hexameter, and diameter.
How dimeter is actually used
A technical term used almost exclusively in prosody, poetics, and literary criticism; rare in everyday speech. When functioning as an adjective it typically appears before the noun it modifies, as in 'dimeter verse' or 'iambic dimeter'.
Easily confused with dimeter
A diameter is the straight line passing through the centre of a circle from side to side, while a dimeter is a two-foot line of verse.