antepenult

noun

an·​te·​pe·​nult ˌan-ti-ˈpē-ˌnəlt  -pi-ˈnəlt 

variants or less commonly antepenultima

ˌan-ti-pi-ˈnəl-tə-mə 

: the third syllable of a word counting from the end (such as cu in accumulate)

antepenultimate

ˌan-ti-pi-ˈnəl-tə-mət 

adjective or noun

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin antepaenultima, feminine of antepaenultimus preceding the next to last, from Latin ante- + paenultimus penultimate

First Known Use

circa 1620, in the meaning defined above