WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
cat•a•lex•is
(kat′l ek′sis),USA pronunciation n., pl. cat•a•lex•es (kat′lek′sēz).USA pronunciation [Pros.]
- Poetrythe absence of a syllable at the beginning or end of a line of metrical verse resulting in an incomplete foot, most often occurring in the last foot at the end of a verse;
a catalectic line.
- Greek katálēxis ending, final syllable; see catalectic, -sis
- 1820–30