penultima n 1: the next to last syllable in a word [syn: {penult}, {penultima}, {penultimate}]
Penultima \Pe*nul"ti*ma\, n. [L. (sc. syllaba), fr. penultimus, paenultimus, the last but one; paene almost + ultimus the last.] Same as {Penult}. [1913 Webster]