Anacrusis Definition

ănə-kro͝osĭs

noun

One or more unstressed syllables at the beginning of a line of verse, before the reckoning of the normal meter begins.

American Heritage

One or more additional, unaccented syllables at the beginning of a line of verse, preceding the regular meter.

Webster's New World

Webster's New World

(prosody) An unstressed syllable at the start of a verse.

Wiktionary

(music) An unstressed note or notes before the first strong beat (downbeat) of a phrase.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Anacrusis

Singular:

anacrusis

Plural:

anacruses

New Latin anacrūsis from Greek anakrousis beginning of a tune from anakrouein to strike up a song ana- ana- krouein to push

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Modern Latin, from Ancient Greek ἀνάκρουσις (anakrousis, “pushing up”), from ἀνακρούω (anakrouō, “I push up”), from ἀνά (ana, “up”) + κρούω (krouō, “I strike”).

From Wiktionary

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