Arsis and Thesis (Gr., 'raising up,' and 'laying down'), grammatical terms applied to the elevation and depression of the voice in speaking. In music, they signify the strong position and the weak in a bar, and are indicated by the down-beat and up-beat of the hand.
Arsis and Thesis
Chambers's Encyclopaedia, Volume 1: A to Beaufort, p. 453
Source scan(s): p. 0472