Ăn'ă-pest, n.

n. [Lat. anapestus, Gr. ἀνάπαιστος, struck back, as n., an anapest, i. e., a dactyl reversed, or as it were struck back; from ἀναπαίειν; ἀνά, back, and παίειν, to strike.] (Pros.) In Greek and Latin versification, a foot consisting of three syllables, the first two short, the last long; as, clē-xĭ-tās. In English versification, a foot containing two unaccented syllables, followed by an accented one; as, in-ter-vene; the reverse of the dactyl. [Written also anapest.]