Antistrophe

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Antistrophe \An*tis"tro*phe\, n. [L., fr. Gr. ?, fr. ? to turn
     to the opposite side; 'anti` against + ? to turn. See
     {Strophe}.]
     1. In Greek choruses and dances, the returning of the chorus,
        exactly answering to a previous strophe or movement from
        right to left. Hence: The lines of this part of the choral


        song.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              It was customary, on some occasions, to dance round
              the altars whilst they sang the sacred hymns, which
              consisted of three stanzas or parts; the first of
              which, called strophe, was sung in turning from east
              to west; the other, named antistrophe, in returning
              from west to east; then they stood before the altar,
              and sang the epode, which was the last part of the
              song.                                 --Abp. Potter.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Rhet.)
        (a) The repetition of words in an inverse order; as, the
            master of the servant and the servant of the master.
        (b) The retort or turning of an adversary's plea against
            him.
            [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  antistrophe
       n : the section of a choral ode answering a previous strophe in
           classical Greek drama; the second of two metrically
           corresponding sections in a poem