1. A metrical line used in classical Greek and Latin poetry, consisting of a spondee, two or three choriambi, and an iamb.
Usage: literary; classical poetry
2. A poem or stanza composed in asclepiad meter.
Usage: literary; classical poetry

Examples

• The asclepiad was a favorite meter of the Roman poet Horace.
• Scholars study the asclepiad to understand classical prosody.
• This ode employs the asclepiad throughout its four stanzas.
• The rhythm of an asclepiad differs markedly from that of a dactylic hexameter.
• Ancient poets valued the asclepiad for its flexibility and musicality.