prosody Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the patterns of stress and intonation in a language
    inflection.
  2. noun (prosody) a system of versification
    poetic rhythm; rhythmic pattern.
  3. noun the study of poetic meter and the art of versification
    metrics.

WordNet

Pros"o*dy noun
Etymology
L. prosodia the tone or accent of a syllable, Gr. a song sung to, or with, an accompanying song, the accent accompanying the pronunciation; to + song, ode: cf. F. prosodie. See Ode.
Definitions
  1. That part of grammar which treats of the quantity of syllables, of accent, and of the laws of versification or metrical composition.

Webster 1913