Webster's English Dictionary

Enter the word to look up:

rhythm

rhythm or rhyth.mi.cal \'rith-*m\ \'rith-mik\ \-m*-k*l\ \-mi-k(*-)le-\ n 
   [MF & L; MF rhythme, fr. L rhythmus, fr. Gk rhythmos, fr. ]rhein to flow - 
   more at STREAM 1a: an ordered recurrent alternation of strong and weak 
   elements in the flo w of sound and silence in speech 1b: a particular 
   example or form of rhythm {iambic ~}  2a: the aspect of music comprising 
   all the elements (as accent, meter) that  relate to forward movement 2b: a 
   characteristic rhythmic pattern {rumba ~}; also : (MMETER 2c: the group of 
   instruments in a band supplying the rhythm  3a: movement or fluctuation 
   marked by the regular recurrence or natural flo w of related elements 3b: 
   the repetition in a literary work of phrase, incident, character type,  or 
   symbol 4: a regularly recurrent quantitative change in a variable 
   biological proce ss 5: the effect created by the elements in a play, movie, 
   or novel that relat e to the temporal development of the action - 
   rhyth.mi.c aj