Emily Dickinson Lexicon

AS-CLE'PI-AD, n.

In ancient poetry, a verse of four feet, the first of which is a spondee the second a choriamb, and the last two, dactyls; or of four feet and a cesura, the first a spondee, the second a dactyl, then the cesura, followed by two dactyls; as, Mæcē | nās ătă | vīs | ēdĭtĕ | rēgĭbŭs. – Encyc.