Bacchius

{{for|the writer|Bacchius of Tanagra}}

{{Metrical feet}}

A bacchius ({{IPAc-en|b|ə|ˈ|k|aɪ|ə|s}}) is a metrical foot of three syllables, consisting of one unstressed syllable followed by two stressed ones.

In accentual-syllabic verse we could describe a bacchius as a foot that goes like this:

border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=5 | da | DUM | DUM

Example:

When day breaks

the fish bite

at small flies.

The Christmas carol 'No Small Wonder' by Paul Edwards is a fair example of usage.

The name is thought to come from its use in ancient Greek songs to the god Bacchus.

{{cite book |last=Preminger |first=Alex |author-link= |date= |title=The Princeton Handbook of Poetic Terms |url= |location= |publisher=Princeton University Press |page=18 |isbn=0-691-01425-6}}