lettrinecommon nounSyllable DecompositionlettrineEtymologyexpandborrowed from Italian letterina, diminutive of lettera 'letter'.Definitions1. A large initial letter, simple or ornate, with a body larger than the text font, placed at the beginning of a chapter or paragraph and occupying one or more lines.expand2. A capital letter placed at the top of the columns or pages of a dictionary to indicate the initial letters of the words contained therein.expandPlurallettrines