1. plural of anacrusis; unstressed syllables or notes that occur before the first stressed beat in a line of poetry or measure of music
Usage: music; poetry

Examples

• The anacruses in the opening measures created a gentle lead-in to the main theme.
• Poetry students learned to identify anacruses at the beginning of verses.
• The conductor emphasized the importance of the anacruses in establishing the song’s rhythm.
• Several anacruses preceded the strong downbeat in the musical phrase.
• The poet used anacruses effectively to create a flowing meter throughout the work.