anuṣṭubh 1
anu-ṣṭubh (√stubh), to praise after, to follow in praising Nir
anuṣṭubh 2
anu-ṣṭúbh p (nom. ○ṣṭúk TS.), f. following in praise or invocation
• a kind of metre consisting of four Pādas or quarter-verses of eight syllables each (according to the DaivBr., quoted in Nir. vii, 12, so called because it anuṣṭobhati i.e. follows with its praise the Gāyatrī, which consists of three Pādas) RV. x, 130, 4, &c
• (in later metrical systems, the Anushṭubh constitutes a whole class of metres, consisting of four times eight syllables)
• hence the number eight
• speech, Sarasvatī L
• (mfn.), praising RV. x, 124, 9

Sanskrit-English Dictionary, by M. Monier William