Erst im lat. Mittelalter auftauchende Form der Versbindung in der Literatur durch gleiche Klänge. Man unterscheidet u.a. den german. Stabreim mit gleichen Anlauten der bindenden Wörter und den Endreim mit gleichklingenden Vokalen in den betonten Silben; zahlr. Nebenformen u.a. Mittel-, Binnen-, Halb-, Doppel-, Pausen-, Schlagreime.
ETYM Old Eng. ryme, rime, as. rîm number; akin to Old High Germ. rîm number, succession, series, German reim rhyme. The modern sense is due to the influence of French rime, which is of German origin, and originally the same word.
(Homonym: rime).
Correspondence in the sounds of two or more lines (esp. final sounds); SYN. rime.
Identity of sound, usually in the endings of lines of verse, such as wing and sing. Avoided in Japanese, it is a common literary device in other Asian and European languages. Rhyme first appeared in Europe in late Latin poetry but was not used in Classical Latin or Greek.