Words - Poetry

Culture > Literature > Poetry

Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.

acatalectic	having a complete or full number of syllables in a poetic line.
acephalous	lacking a head or a leader; lacking the first syllable or foot (of a hexameter).
acrostic	a composition, usually in verse, in which the first or the last letters of the lines, or certain other letters, taken in order, form a name, word, phrase, or motto.
acrostical	pertaining to, or characterized by, acrostics > ACROSTICALLY.
aeglogue eclogue	a pastoral poem, often in the form of a dialogue between shepherds.
alcaic	a verse form consisting of strophes with four tetrametric lines, attributed to Alcaeus, a lyric poet of Mitylene, about 600 BC.
alexandrine	a French verse form.
amoebean	alternately answering, responsive, as often in pastoral poetry.
amphibrach	a foot of three syllables, the middle one long, the first and last short.
amphibrachic	of or like an AMPHIBRACH, a foot of three syllables, the middle one long, the first and last short.
amphigoric	relating to AMPHIGORY.
amphigory amphigouri	a nonsensical piece of writing, usually in verse form, typically composed as a parody. [Fr. amphigouri].
amphimacer	a foot of three syllables, the middle one short and the others long, as in cast/tas.
anacrusis	one or more short syllables introductory to the normal rhythm of a line > ANACRUSES.
anapaest anapest	two short metrical syllables followed by one long one. [Gk. anapaistos struck back, from ana back, and paiein to strike].
anapaestic anapestic	in the form of an ANAPAEST, two short metrical syllables followed by one long one.
antibacchius	a foot of two long (or stressed) syllables followed by a short (or unstressed) one > ANTIBACCHII.
antipoetic	of, relating to, or characterized by opposition to traditional poetic technique or style.
antispast	a metrical foot comprising an iambus followed by a trochee > ANTISPASTS. [Gk. antispastos, from antispaein, to draw back].
antispastic	relating to an ANTISPAST, a foot composed of an iambus and a trochee.
arsis	the accented or longer part of a poetic foot; the point where an ictus is put > ARSES.
asclepiad	a choriambic verse, first used by the Greek poet Asclepias, consisting of four feet, viz. a spondee, two choriambi, and an iambus.
assonance	vowel-rhyme, coincidence of vowel sound without regard to consonants.
asynartete	not connected, consisting of parts having different rhythms; (noun) a verse of such a kind.
aubade	a song or poem greeting the dawn or about lovers parting at dawn.
awdl	a Welsh ode.
bacchiac	relating to the BACCHIUS, a type of metrical foot.
bacchius	a metrical foot composed of a short syllable and two long ones; according to some, two long and a short > BACCHII.
ballade	a poetic form, originally for singing.
balladist	one who composes ballads.
balladmonger	a dealer in or composer of ballads.
balladry	ballads collectively.
bard	one of the ancient Celtic order of formal poets and singers; also an armour for a horse; (verb) to armour a horse > BARDS, BARDING, BARDED.
bardic	pertaining to a bard.
bardism	the state of a being a BARD.
bardling	an inferior bard.
bardship	the state of being a bard.
berhyme	to mention in rhyme or verse; to rhyme about.
bobwheel	the bob (short line near the end of a stanza) with the lines following it.
caesura cesura	a pause in a poem or a song > CAESURAE or CAESURAS, CESURAE or CESURAS.
caesural cesural	of or pertaining to a CAESURA. Also CESURAL.
caesuric	relating to a CAESURA, a pause in a poem or a song.
cancionero	a collection of songs and poems.
cancrine	crab-wise; (of verses, etc) reading both ways, palindromic.
canto	a principal division of a long poem > CANTOS.
canzone	a Provençal or Italian form of lyric poetry, consisting of a series of stanzas without a refrain > CANZONES or CANZONI.
catalexis	the condition of being CATALECTIC > CATALEXES.
catalectic	(a line) lacking one syllable in the last foot.
cento	a literary work, especially a poem, composed of parts taken from works of other authors > CENTOS or CENTONES. [L. cento, patchwork].
centoist centonist	one who composes CENTOS, poems manufactured by putting together passages of other poems.
cesura	see CAESURA.
cesural	see CAESURAL.
cheville	an unnecessary word added to round off a sentence or complete a line of verse.
choliamb	a variety of iambic trimeter. [Gk. choliambos, from cholos, lame + iambos, iambus].
choliambic	a verse having an iambus in the fifth place, and a spondee in the sixth or last.
choree	a TROCHEE.
choreic	relating to a CHOREE, a trochee.
choreus	a trochee, a choree > CHOREUSES.
choriamb choriambus	a metrical foot comprising a trochee and an iambus > CHORIAMBS, CHORIAMBI. [Gk. choriambos, from choreios, a trochee + iambos, iambus].
choriambic	pertaining to a choriamb.
cinquain	a group of five, especially a five-line stanza.
clerihew	a light verse quatrain rhyming aabb and usually dealing with a person named in the initial rhyme.
colubriad	(Cowper) the epic of a snake.
comma	a fragment of a few words or feet in ancient prosody > COMMAS or COMMATA.
concretism	the theory or practice of concrete poetry.
couplet	a pair of rhyming lines.
crambo	rhyme; a game in which one player gives a word to which another finds a rhyme; rhyme.
cramboclink	rhyming doggerel.
cretic	a type of metrical foot.
cyclus	a cycle of myths, poems, songs, etc > CYCLUSES (not CYCLI*).
cynghanedd	a technique in Welsh verse.
dactyl	a metrical foot of one short syllable followed by two long syllables. [Gk. daktylos, a finger].
dactylar	pertaining to a DACTYL; dactylic.
dactylic	(a line) consisting chiefly or wholly of, dactyls > DACTYLICS.
dactylist	a writer of dactylic verse.
decastich	a ten-line poem.
decasyllable	a verse line or a verb having ten syllables.
decasyllabic	(a line of verse) having ten syllables.
dectet	a group of ten (musicians, lines of verse).
dimeter	a verse of two measures.
dipodic	of or like DIPODY, a double foot in prosody.
dipody	two metrical feet taken together, or included in one measure.
dispondee	a double spondee; a foot consisting of four long syllables.
distich	a couple of verses or poetic lines making complete sense. [Gk. distichos, from di-, twice + stichos, a line].
distichal	of or like a DISTICH, a couple of verses or poetic lines making complete sense.
dithyramb	a hymn or poem to honor Bacchus.
dithyrambic	like a DITHYRAMB.
ditrochee	a double trochee; a foot made up of two trochees.
dit ditt	a poem, the words of a song.
divan	a collection of poems in Persian or Arabic, usually by a single author.
dizain	a ten-line stanza or poem.
dochmiac	a DOCHMIUS, a foot of five syllables > DOCHMIACS.
dochmius	a foot of five syllables, typically with first and fourth short, the rest long > DOCHMIUSES or DOCHMII.
doggerel doggrel dogrel	poor quality comic verse.
dolichurus	a dactylic hexameter with a redundant syllable at the end > DOLICHURI.
duan	a division of a poem corresponding to a canto; a poem or song.
eclogue	see AEGLOGUE.
elegiac	a verse line of five dactyls with a marked caesura > ELEGIACS.
elegiacal	related to ELEGY > ELEGIACALLY.
elegiast elegist	one who composes elegies.
elegise elegize	to write an elegy. Also ELEGIZE.
elegy	a mournful poem for one who is dead.
enjamb	in verse, to make an ENJAMBEMENT.
enjambement enjambment	the continuation of a sentence from one line of a couplet to the next.
envoi	the concluding part of a poem or book.
epic	a long narrative poem.
epical	epic > EPICALLY.
epicede	a funeral ode.
epicedial epicedian	of or relating to dirges or elegies.
epicedium	a funeral ode, an epicede > EPICEDIA.
epicism	the writing of epics.
epicist	one who writes epics.
epiclike	like an epic.
epigram	a short, witty poem; a concise, clever and often paradoxical statement.
epinicion epinikion	an ode in honour of a victor or winner.
epithalamion epithalamium	a poem or song in honor of a bride and bridegroom > EPITHALAMIA, EPITHALAMIUMS.
epitrite	a metrical foot consisting of three long syllables and one short syllable.
epode	a genre of lyric poem, in which a longer verse is followed by a shorter one.
epodic	relating to an EPODE, a kind of lyric poem.
epopee	epic poetry, especially as a literary genre.
epopoeia	an epic poem; epic poetry.
epos	an epic poem.
epyllion	a poem with some resemblance to an epic but shorter > EPYLLIONS or EPYLLIA. [Gk. epullion].
fifteener	a verse of fifteen syllables.
fit fitt fitte fytte	a division of a poem.
flyting	a dispute or exchange of personal abuse in verse form > FLYTINGS.
foot	a division of a line of poetry.
fourteener	a verse line of fourteen syllables.
fytte	see FIT.
galliambic	a classical metre.
gauchesco	of a type of Spanish poetry inspired by the life, language and customs of the gaucho.
gazal ghazal ghazel	a Persian verse-form.
genethliacon	a birthday ode.
georgic	a poem on husbandry or rural affairs. [L. georgicus].
georgical	agricultural.
ghazal	see GAZAL.
ghazel	see GAZAL.
glyconic	a line consisting of a SPONDEE, a CHORIAMB, and a PYRRHIC; -- applied to a kind of verse in Greek and Latin poetry.
goliard	a wandering scholar in the Middle Ages, known for riotous behaviour and satirical Latin poems lampooning the church.
goliardy goliardery	the satirical or ribald poetry of the Goliards.
gradus	a dictionary of prosody, designed as an aid in writing Greek or Latin poetry > GRADUSES.
haikai	a series of linked HAIKU. No —S.
haiku	a syllabic verse-form > HAIKUS.
hemistich	half a verse line.
hendecasyllable	a metrical line of eleven syllables.
hendecasyllabic	of a metricla line, having eleven syllables.
hephthemimer	in Greek and Latin prosody, seven half-feet.
heptameter	a verse line of seven feet.
heptapodic	of a verse, having seven feet.
heptapody	the state of having seven feet.
heptastich	a poem, strophe, or stanza that consists of seven lines.
heptasyllabic	having seven syllables.
heroic	(noun) a heroic verse.
hexameter	a verse line of six feet.
hexametral	like a HEXAMETER.
hexametric hexametrical	of verse, written in hexameters.
hexapodic	of a line or verse, having six feet.
hexapody	a line or verse of six feet.
hexastich	a poem or stanza of six lines.
hokku	a series of HAIKU. No —S.
huitain	a group of eight lines of verse.
hypercatalectic	having an additional syllable or half-foot after the last complete DIPODY.
hypercatalexis	the state of being HYPERCATALECTIC > HYPERCATALEXES.
hypermeter	a verse which has a redundant syllable or foot; a hypercatalectic verse.
iamb	a poetic foot consisting of a short then a long syllable.
iambic	an IAMB, a poetic foot consisting of a short then a long syllable > IAMBICS; (adj.) consisting of iambs > IAMBICALLY.
iambist	one who writes in IAMBICS.
iambus	a metrical foot > IAMBI or IAMBUSES.
ictal ictic	relating to an ICTUS, a rhythmical or metrical stress.
ictus	a recurring stress/accent in a rhythmic/metrical series of sounds; a mark indicating the syllable on which stress/accent occurs > ICTUSES. [L. ictus, a blow].
idyl idyll	a short description in verse or prose of a picturesque scene or incident, esp. in rustic life.
idylist idyllist	one who writes IDYLS.
idyllian	relating to an IDYLL.
idyllic	of or like an IDYLL > IDYLLICALLY.
idyllist	see IDYLIST.
iliad	a long poem.
imagism	an early 20c school of poetry aiming at concentration, clear and simple language, and freedom of form and subject.
jingle	a short simple verse often with an associated tune.
kenning	a periphrastic formula in Old Norse or other old Germanic poetry.
kyrielle	a string of short lines in stanzas all ending with the same word.
laisse	a tirade or string of verses on one rhyme.
limerick	a form of humorous verse in a five-line jingle. [Said to be from a refrain formerly used, referring to Limerick in Ireland].
limma	in prosody, a pause of one MORA.
logaoedic	a verse composed of dactyls and trochees so arranged as to produce a movement like that of ordinary speech.
lyric	a lyrical poem.
lyrical	having the form of a song > LYRICALLY.
lyricise lyricize	to write lyrics.
lyricism	the quality of being lyrical.
macaronic	mixing words from different languages, especially Latin with vernacular or Latinized vernacular words; (noun) a verse of this type.
makar maker	a poet.
melic	of a poem, written to be sung. Also (noun) a kind of grass.
metre	the regulated succession of groups of syllables (long and short, stressed and unstressed) in which poetry is usually written; (verb) to versify.
metrician	a composer of verses.
metricise	to convert to metrical form.
metricism	the study of metre.
metricist	a person skilled in metres, a METRICIAN.
metricize	to convert to metrical form.
metrics	the study of versification.
metrifier	one who metrifies.
metrify	to make verse.
metrist	a maker of verses.
minnesinger	a troubadour-like poet of mediaeval Germany.
minstrel	a medieval musician, itinerant or attached to a noble household, who sang or recited his own or others' poems, accompanying himself on a stringed instrument.
minstrelsy	the art of the minsrel.
mismetre	to spoil the metre (of a poem).
misrhymed	badly rhymed. No MISRHYME*.
miurus	a hexameter with a short penultimate syllable > MIURUSES.
molossus	a verse foot of three long syllables > MOLOSSI. [The adjective of Molossia or Molossis in the Epirus region of ancient Greece, famous in ancient times for its great mastiff dogs].
monodic monodical	relating to MONODY, a mournful ode or poem performed by a single mourner.
monodist	a writer of a MONODY.
monody	a poem in which the poet laments someone's death.
monometer	a rhythmic series, consisting of a single meter.
monometric monometrical	like a MONOMETER.
monopody	a verse measure of one foot only.
monorhyme	a series of lines all rhyming together.
monostich	a composition consisting of one verse only.
mora	a unit of metrical time in prosody > MORAE or MORAS.
mythopoet	a myth-maker; a writer of poems on mythical subjects.
nostos	a poem describing a return journey > NOSTOI.
octameter	a verse-line of eight feet.
octapodic	of a verse line, having eight feet.
octapody	a verse-line of eight feet.
octastich	a poem or stanza of eight lines.
octonarian	in prosody, a line having eight feet.
octonarius	in prosody, a line having eight feet > OCTONARII.
octosyllabic	(a line) consisting of eight syllables.
ode	an elaborate lyric addressed to someone or something.
odic	of or pertaining to an ODE.
odist	a writer of odes.
ollamh ollav	an Irish master poet.
paeon paeonic	a foot of four syllables, one long and three short.
palinode palinody	an ode or song recanting or retracting something in an earlier poem.
pantoum pantun	a verse form in quatrains, in which the second and fourth lines appear as first and third line of next quatrain, and the last line repeats the first line.
paracrostic	poem whose initial letters reproduce its first verse.
pararhyme	a form of rhyme in which the consonants by not the vowels of the last stressed syllable are identical.
paroemiac	the anapaestic dimeter catalectic.
passus	a section of a poem or story > PASSUSES.
pastourelle	a medieval poem between a knight and a shepherdess.
penill pennill	a verse or stanza in Welsh poetry > PENILLION, PENNILLION.
pentameter	a line of verse consisting of five metrical feet.
pentapodic	relating to PENTAPODY, a measure of five feet.
pentapody	a measure or series consisting of five feet.
pentastich	a composition consisting of five verses.
poem	a composition in verse.
poematic	pertaining to a poem, or to poetry; poetical.
poesy	to dabble in poetry.
poet	one who writes poems.
poetaster	an inferior poet.
poetess	a female poet.
poetic	pertaining to poetry > POETICALLY.
poetical	related to poetry > POETICALLY; (noun) a writer of poetry > POETICALS.
poeticism	a poetical phrase esp. a trite one.
poetics	poetic theory or practice.
poeticule	a poetaster.
poetise poetize	to write as a poet.
poetiser poetizer	one who poetises.
poetlike	like a poet.
poetresse	a poetess > POETRESSES.
poetry	literary work in metrical form.
poetship	the state or personality of a poet.
proceleusmatic	inciting; encouraging; exhorting; (noun) a metrical foot of four short syllables.
prosodial	prosodical.
prosodian prosodist	one skilled in PROSODY.
prosodic	of or relating to versification.
prosody	the study of versification; esp > the systematic study of metrical structure.
pyrrhic	a Greek metrical foot consisting of two short syllables. [Gk. pyrriche (orchesis) pyrrhic dance, said to be from Pyrrichos, the inventor].
qasida	a formal Arabic poem of praise.
quatorzain	a poem of fourteen lines; a sonnet.
quatrain	a stanza of four lines rhyming alternately.
renga	(Japanese) a kind of linked verse > RENGAS.
rhime	a rhyme.
rhyme rime	in two or more words, identity of sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; (verb) to compose verse with corresponding terminal sounds.
rhymeless	destitute of rhyme.
rhymer rimer	one who composes rhymes.
rhymester rimester	a rhymer; a maker of poor poetry.
rhymist	a versifier.
rimeless	without RIME.
rime	see RHYME.
rimer	see RHYMER.
rimester	see RHYMESTER.
rondeau	a poem of 13 lines with two rhymes and the opening words used as a refrain in two places > RONDEAUX.
rondel rondelle	a verse form of thirteen or fourteen lines on two rhymes, the seventh and thirteenth being identical with the first, and the eighth and (if present) the fourteenth with the second.
rondelet	a short 5 or 7-line rondeau with one refrain per stanza.
rubai	a Persian verse-form, a four-line stanza > RUBAIYAT or RUBAIS.
sapphic	a verse form said to have been invented by the Greek lyric poet Sappho.
scald skald	an ancient Scandinavian bard.
scaldic skaldic	relating to a SCALD or SKALD.
scaldship skaldship	the office of SCALD.
scan	to analyse metrically.
scansion	the determination of the metre of verse; prosody.
scazon	a choliamb > SCAZONS or SCAZONTES. [Gk. scazos, limping].
scazontic	a limping verse, a SCAZON.
scop	an Anglo-Saxon poet and harpist.
sdrucciola	(of rhyme) triple.
seguidilla	a Spanish verse form of seven lines.
semeion	in ancient prosody, one of the two divisions of a foot > SEMEIA.
semiped	a half foot in poetry.
senarius	a Greek or Latin verse containing six iambic feet per line > SENARII.
senryu	a 3-line Japanese poem. No —S.
septenarius	a seven-foot verse, esp a trochaic tetrameter catalectic.
sestina sestine sextain sixain sixaine	a stanza of six lines.
sijo	a Korean verse form > SIJOS.
sirvente	a (usu. satirical) poem or lay recited by a medieval troubadour.
sixain	see SESTINA.
sixaine	see SESTINA.
sixteener	a verse of sixteen syllables.
skald	see SCALD.
skaldic	see SCALDIC.
skaldship	see SCALDSHIP.
sonnet	to write sonnets, to celebrate in sonnets > SONNETS, SONNETING or SONNETTING, SONNETED or SONNETTED.
sonnetary	of or like a sonnet.
sonneteer	a writer of sonnets, a poetaster.
sonneteering	the composition of sonnets.
sonnetise sonnetize	to compose sonnets.
spondaic	or of pertaining to a spondee; (noun) a spondee.
spondee	in verse, a foot of two long syllables.
stanza	a division of a poem.
stanzaed	in STANZAS.
stanzaic	pertaining to, or consisting of, stanzas; as, a couplet in stanzaic form.
stanze	a stanza.
stanzo	a stanza > STANZOES or STANZOS.
stich	a line of verse, or section of prose of comparable length.
stichic	relating to verse composed in homogeneous and recurrent lines, as in recitative poetry > STICHICALLY.
stichos	a stichometric line of a manuscript; a verse > STICHOI.
stornello	an Italian folk verse form > STORNELLI.
strophe	a group of lines forming a section of a lyric poem. [Gk. strophe, turning].
strophic strophical	pertaining to, containing, or consisting of, strophes.
synaphea synapheia	metrical continuity between two verses in a system.
tanka	(Japanese) a 5-line Japanese verse form, its 1st and 3rd lines comprised of 5 syllables, the rest of 7.
tautometric tautometrical	exactly corresponding in arrangement of syllables.
telestich	a poem in which the consecutive final letters of the lines spell a name. Cf. ACROSTIC, where it is the initial letters.
tenson tenzon	a competition in verse between two troubadours [Fr. from L. tensio, a struggle].
tercet tiercet terzetta	a triplet of lines that rhyme together or are connected with adjacent rhymes.
tetrabrach	a word or metrical foot composed of four short syllables.
tetrameter	a verse or line consisting of four measures, that is, in iambic, trochaic, and anapestic verse, of eight feet; in other kinds of verse, of four feet.
tetrapodic	of verse, having four metrical feet.
tetrapody	a set of four metrical feet.
tetrasemic	in Greek prosody, equivalent to four short syllables.
tetrastich	a stanza, epigram, or poem, consisting of four verses or lines.
tiercet	see TERCET.
tribrach	a poetic foot of three short syllables.
trichronous	trisemic.
trimeter	a verse of three measures.
trimetric trimetrical	relating to a TRIMETER, a verse of three measures.
triolet	an eight-lined poem rhymed ab aa abab, lines 4 and 7 repeating 1, and 8 repeating 2.
triplet	three lines rhyming together.
tripody	three metrical feet taken together, or included in one measure.
triseme	a foot containing three short syllables. [Gk. trisemos, from sema, a sign].
trisemic	relating to a TRISEME, a foot containing three short syllables.
tristich	a stanza of three lines.
trochaic	of or like a TROCHEE; (noun) a trochaic verse.
trochee	in prosody, a foot of one long syllable, one short.
troubadour trouvere trouveur	one of a school of poets who flourished in Northern France from the eleventh to the fourteenth century.
unrhymed	not rhymed.
unrimed	not rimed.
unscanned	not scanned as verse.
vers	verse.
verse	to versify.
verselet	a small verse.
verseman	one who writes verses, an inferior poet.
verser	a versifier.
verset	a verse.
versifier versificator	a maker of verses.
versify	to change from prose into metrical form.
verslibrist	one who writes vers libre, free verse.
villanelle	a poem consisting of five tercets and a quatrain.
virelai virelay	an old French lyric form in two-rhymed stanzas of short lines.
waka	(Japanese) a Japanese verse-form.