noun.
The study of the metrical structure of verse.
noun.
A particular system of versification.
noun.
The set of speech variables, including rhythm, speed, pitch, and relative emphasis, that distinguish vocal patterns.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
noun.
The science of the quantity of syllables and of pronunciation as affecting versification; in a wider sense, metrics, or the elements of metrics, considered as a part of grammar (see metrics, 2).
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
noun.
That part of grammar which treats of the quantity of syllables, of accent, and of the laws of versification or metrical composition.