a. and sb. [abbrev. of L. antepænultima: see next.]
A. adj. Preceding the penult; the last but two. Orig. a term of Prosody, but also used otherwise.
1585. James I., Ess. Poesie (Arb.), 57. Or question and digestion, It rymes in ques and ges, albeit they be bot the antepenult syllabis.
1597. T. Morley, Introd. Mus., 76. Your penult and antepenult notes.
1852. Dana, Crust., I. 631. Carapax … extending to antepenult thoracic segment.
B. sb. [The adj. used absol., sc. syllable.]
c. 1620. A. Hume, Orthogr. Brit. Tong., 22. Never farther from the end then the third syllab, quhilk the grammareanes calls the antepenult.
1755. Johnson, Gram. Pros. Words in ion have the accent upon the antepenult.
