1  definition  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Arsis  \Ar"sis\  ([aum]r"s[i^]s),  n.  [L.  arsis,  Gr  'a`rsis  a 
  raising  or  lifting,  an  elevation  of  the  voice,  fr  a'i`rein 
  to  raise  or  lift  up  Its  ordinary  use  is  the  result  of  am 
  early  misapprehension;  originally  and  properly  it  denotes  the 
  lifting  of  the  hand  in  beating  time,  and  hence  the  unaccented 
  part  of  the  rhythm.] 
  1.  (Pros.) 
  a  That  part  of  a  foot  where  the  ictus  is  put  or  which 
  is  distinguished  from  the  rest  (known  as  the  thesis) 
  of  the  foot  by  a  greater  stress  of  voice.  --Hermann. 
  b  That  elevation  of  voice  now  called  {metrical 
  accentuation},  or  the  rhythmic  accent. 
 
  Note:  It  is  uncertain  whether  the  arsis  originally  consisted 
  in  a  higher  musical  tone,  greater  volume,  or  longer 
  duration  of  sound,  or  in  all  combined. 
 
  2.  (Mus.)  The  elevation  of  the  hand,  or  that  part  of  the  bar 
  at  which  it  is  raised,  in  beating  time;  the  weak  or 
  unaccented  part  of  the  bar;  --  opposed  to  {thesis}. 
  --Moore. 

browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
or search   thesauri dictionary search words