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enjambment

noun
en·​jamb·​ment | \ in-ˈjam-mənt How to pronounce enjambment (audio) \
variants: or less commonly enjambement \ in-​ˈjam-​mənt How to pronounce enjambement (audio) , äⁿ-​zhäⁿb-​ˈmäⁿ \

Definition of enjambment

: the running over of a sentence from one verse or couplet into another so that closely related words fall in different lines — compare run-on

Examples of enjambment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 Her book works because her blank verse, with its seemingly unstudied enjambments, is supple yet pared down. — Dwight Garner, New York Times, "Beautiful Poems About a House of Horrors," 14 Mar. 2017

First Known Use of enjambment

circa 1839, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for enjambment

French enjambement, from Middle French, encroachment, from enjamber to straddle, encroach on, from en- + jambe leg — more at jamb

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