Dictionary

anacrusis en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /anəˈkɹuːsɪs/ (UK)

Etymology

Via New Latin from Ancient Greek ἀνάκρουσις (anákrousis, “pushing up”), from ἀνακρούω (anakroúō, “I push up”), from ἀνά (aná, “up”) + κρούω (kroúō, “I strike”).

Meanings

1. An unstressed syllable at the start of a verse.
2. An unstressed note or notes before the first strong beat (or downbeat) of a phrase.
   • Then Etheridge poised his baton, jerked an upbeat, and made the violinists speak the low G and A of their anacrusis. 1989, Anthony Burgess, Any Old Iron:

Forms

Deriveds

anacrusic

Relateds

crusis

Translations (27)

ca anacrusi ((prosody) an unstressed syllable at the start of a verse) · pl anakruza ((music) an unstressed note (or notes) before the first strong beat of a phrase) · ru зата́кт ((music) an unstressed note (or notes) before the first strong beat of a phrase) · es anacrusa ((music) an unstressed note (or notes) before the first strong beat of a phrase) · cmn 弱起 ((music) an unstressed note (or notes) before the first strong beat of a phrase) · pl przedtakt ((music) an unstressed note (or notes) before the first strong beat of a phrase) · fi anakruusi ((prosody) an unstressed syllable at the start of a verse) · fr anacrouse ((music) an unstressed note (or notes) before the first strong beat of a phrase) · fi nousutahti ((music) an unstressed note (or notes) before the first strong beat of a phrase) · ru анакру́за ((prosody) an unstressed syllable at the start of a verse) · ca anacrusi ((music) an unstressed note (or notes) before the first strong beat of a phrase) · de Auftakt ((music) an unstressed note (or notes) before the first strong beat of a phrase) · de Auftakt ((prosody) an unstressed syllable at the start of a verse) · nl opmaat ((music) an unstressed note (or notes) before the first strong beat of a phrase) · pt anacruse ((music) an unstressed note (or notes) before the first strong beat of a phrase) · fi esitahti ((prosody) an unstressed syllable at the start of a verse) · sh ȕzmāh ((music) an unstressed note (or notes) before the first strong beat of a phrase) · pt anacruse ((prosody) an unstressed syllable at the start of a verse) · fr anacrouse ((prosody) an unstressed syllable at the start of a verse) · fi kohotahti ((music) an unstressed note (or notes) before the first strong beat of a phrase) · sv upptakt ((music) an unstressed note (or notes) before the first strong beat of a phrase) · de Anakrusis ((music) an unstressed note (or notes) before the first strong beat of a phrase) · sh у̏зма̄х ((music) an unstressed note (or notes) before the first strong beat of a phrase) · it anacrusi ((music) an unstressed note (or notes) before the first strong beat of a phrase) · pl anakruza ((prosody) an unstressed syllable at the start of a verse) · pl przedtakt ((prosody) an unstressed syllable at the start of a verse) · it anacrusi ((prosody) an unstressed syllable at the start of a verse)