Inflected forms: pl. ar·ses (-sz) 1a. The short or unaccented part of a metrical foot, especially in quantitative verse. b. The accented or long part of a metrical foot, especially in accentual verse. 2.Music The upbeat or unaccented part of a measure.
ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English, raising of the voice, from Late Latin, raising of the voice, accented part of a metrical foot, from Greek, raising of the foot (marking the upbeat), the unaccented part of a metrical foot, from aeirein, to lift. See wer-1 in Appendix I.
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