[ 'anəpi:st , -pɛst ]
( US anapest )
■ noun Prosody a metrical foot consisting of two short or unstressed syllables followed by one long or stressed syllable.
Derivatives
~ic -'pi:stɪk , -'pɛstɪk adjective
Origin
C16: via L. from Gk anapaistos 'reversed', from ana- 'back' + paiein 'strike' (because it is the reverse of a dactyl).