FOOT, in the Latin and Greek poetry, a metre or measure, which is composed of a certain number of long and short syllables.
Of metrical feet, which are commonly reckoned twenty-eight, some are simple, consisting of two or three syllables, and therefore called dissyllabic or trisyllabic feet; and others are compound, consisting of four syllables, from which circumstance they are called tetrasyllabic feet.
The dissyllabic feet are four in number; the pyrrichius, spondeus, iambus, and trocheus. The trisyllabic feet are eight in number; the dactylus, anapaustus, tribrachys, molossus, amphibrachys, amphimacer, bacchius, and antibacchius. The tetrasyllabic are sixteen in number; the proceleusmaticus, dispondeus, choriambus, antispastus, diambus, dichoreus, ionicus a majore, ionicus a minore, epitritus primus, epitritus secundus, epitritus tertius, epitritus quartus, peon primus, peon secundus, peon tertius, and peon quartus.
FOOT is also a long measure consisting of twelve inches. Geometricians divide the foot into ten digits, and the digit again into ten lines.
FOOT SQUARE is the same measure both in breadth and length, containing 144 square superficial inches.
CUBIC or SOLID FOOT, is the same measure in all the three dimensions of length, breadth, and depth or thickness, containing 1728 cubic inches.