rhythm
/ˈɹɪð.əm/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.05 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The variation of strong and weak elements (such as duration, accent) of sounds, notably in speech or music, over time; a beat or meter.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
The musical instruments which provide rhythm (mainly; not or less melody) in a musical ensemble.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
Controlled repetition of a phrase, incident or other element as a stylistic figure in literature and other narrative arts; the effect it creates.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Dance to the rhythm of the music."
- "The audience clapped in rhythm as I sang."
- "Hicks is both thwarter and thwartee of Daedalean plots. Aboard a train, the rhythm of the wheels sounds to him like "wottachump, wottachump, wottachump.""
- "Most dances have a rhythm as distinctive as the Iambic verse in poetry"
- "Once you get the rhythm of it, the job will become easy."
- "Will this decision-making paralysis continue until Great British Railways has been established and settled into a new rhythm? If so, passengers on the West of England line are in for a rough ride, as the reliability of these tired old British Rail trains inevitably declines, and maintenance costs rise."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ser-? Proto-Indo-European *srew- Proto-Indo-European *sru-dʰ-mo-s Proto-Hellenic *hrutʰmós Ancient Greek ῥῠθμός (rhŭthmós)bor. Latin rhythmusder. English rhythm First coined in 1557, from Latin rhythmus, from Ancient Greek ῥυθμός (rhuthmós, “any measured flow or movement, symmetry, rhythm”), from ῥέω (rhéō, “to flow, run, stream, gush”).
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈɹɪð.əm/
- British English: /ˈɹɪð.əm/