in ancient poetry, a sort of verse, so called from its consisting either wholly, or in great part, of iambus's. See IAMBUS.

Ruddiman makes two kinds of iambic, viz. dimeter and trimeter; the former containing four-feet, and the latter six. And as to the variety of their feet, they consist wholly of iambus's, as in the two following verses of Horace:

``` Dim. Inor sit æstivis[stultus] Trim. Suïs[&] pia Roma erubescruit. ```

Or, a dactylus, spondeus, anapestus, and sometimes tribrachys, obtain in the odd places; and the tribrachys also in the even places, excepting the last.—Examples of all which may be seen in Horace; as,

``` Dimeter. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Canidìa tro[stavit]dapes Vide[re prope]rantes domum

Trimeter. Quod quo[que]celeste rurs[us]antcur decteris. Priusque cællum si[det]in feri[us]mari. Alii[bus alique canib[us homi]cid' Hel]ctorum. Pavidamque lepor[us] aut ad[venam laqueo]gruem. ```