An-tĭs'tro-phe, n.
An-tĭs'tro-phe, n. [Lat. antistrophe, Gr. ἀντιστροφή, from ἀντιστρέφειν, to turn against, from ἀντί and στρέφειν, to turn; στροφή, a turning, especially the turning of the chorus.]
Sense 1. (Rhet.) (a.) The repetition of words in an inverse order; as, the master of the servant, the servant of the master. (b.) The turning of an adversary’s plea against him; as, had I killed him, as you report, I had not staid to bury him.
Sense 2. (Anc. Lyric Poetry.) That part of a song or dance, around the altar, which was performed by turning from the left to the right, in opposition to the strophe, which was performed by turning from the right to the left.
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. Potter.