%iambus%

n.; pl. L. Iambi E. Iambuses [ L. iambus, Gr. &unr_;; prob. akin to &unr_; to throw, assail (the iambus being first used in satiric poetry), and to L. jacere to throw. Cf. Jet a shooting forth. ] (Pros.) A foot consisting of a short syllable followed by a long one, as in or of an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one, as invent; an iambic. See the Couplet under Iambic, n. [ 1913 Webster ]