Definition
A metrical foot in poetry consisting of two syllables with the stress on the first syllable, creating a falling rhythm (— ∪). It's the opposite of an iamb and appears frequently in nursery rhymes and comic verse.
Example Usage
The nursery rhyme 'Humpty Dumpty' is written primarily in trochaic meter.
Origin
From Greek trocheos, meaning 'running,' because the stress pattern creates a sense of forward momentum.
Fun Fact
Trochaic meter was particularly favored by Shakespeare in his lighter comedies and is often considered more suited to comedic or whimsical verse.
Source: Definition backfill (hailey)
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