Phrase guide

terza rima

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • UK: /ˌtɛːtsə ˈɹiːmə/
  • US: /ˌtɝtsə ˈɹimə/

1

noun

Meaning 1

An arrangement of triplets, generally in iambic pentameter in English, with rhyme scheme aba bcb cdc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: communications, journalism, literature, media, poetry, publishing, writing

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a verse form with a rhyme scheme: aba bcb cdc, etc.

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: poem, verse form

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian terza rima (literally “third rhyme”).

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: тэрцы́на (tercýna) — arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
  • Bulgarian: терцина (tercina) — arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
  • Czech: tercína — arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
  • Danish: terzine — arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
  • Estonian: tertsiin — arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
  • French: terza rima — arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
  • German: Terzine — arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
  • Hebrew: טֶרצִינַה (tertzínah) — arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
  • Hungarian: tercina — arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
  • Italian: terza rima — arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
  • Japanese: テルツァ・リーマ (terutsa rīma) — arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
  • Norwegian: tersin — arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
  • Polish: tercyna — arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
  • Russian: терци́на (tercína) — arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
  • Slovak: tercína — arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
  • Slovak: tercet — arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
  • Spanish: terceto encadenado — arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
  • Swedish: terzin — arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
  • Ukrainian: терци́на (tercýna) — arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc
  • West Flemish: têrzyne — arrangement of triplets rhyming aba bcb cdc