strophe

UK: /ˈstrəʊfɪ/ US: /ˈstroʊfi/ ,(strō′fē)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

stro•phe /ˈstroʊfi/   n. [countable] , pl. -phes. 

1. Poetry (in modern poetry) a separate section or extended movement in a poem, distinguished from a stanza in that it does not follow a regularly repeated pattern.

stroph•ic /ˈstrɑfɪk, ˈstroʊfɪk/  adj. See -stroph-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

stro•phe  (strō′fē), n. 

1. Literature the part of an ancient Greek choral ode sung by the chorus when moving from right to left.
2. Literature the movement performed by the chorus during the singing of this part.
3. Poetry the first of the three series of lines forming the divisions of each section of a Pindaric ode.
4. Poetry (in modern poetry) any separate section or extended movement in a poem, distinguished from a stanza in that it does not follow a regularly repeated pattern.

• Greek strophé̄ a twist, turning about, akin to stréphein to turn; see strepto-
• 1595–1605

Synonyms

• 3. See verse. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

strophe / ˈstrəʊfɪ/ noun

1. (in ancient Greek drama) the first of two movements made by a chorus during the performance of a choral ode
2. the first part of a choral ode sung during this movement

See also antistrophe, epodeEtymology: 17th Century: from Greek: a verse, literally: a turning, from strephein to twist