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limerick
noun
lim·er·ick
ˈli-mə-rik
ˈlim-rik
: a light or humorous verse form of five chiefly anapestic verses of which lines 1, 2, and 5 are of three feet and lines 3 and 4 are of two feet with a rhyme scheme of aabba
Examples of limerick in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Until then, feel free to send me your best limericks at mlunsford@tennessean.com.
—
Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 15 Feb. 2024
There’s a person writing beautiful custom poems that are sort of dirty limericks.
—
Emily Leibert, Curbed, 2 Nov. 2024
Instead, what we’re served feels more like dirty limericks delivered at an excruciating pace by a bore with bad breath.
—
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2024
In countless interviews, Joel has mused that the waltzing chord progression is monotonous and the lyrics akin to limericks.
—
Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 9 May 2024
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Word History
Etymology
Limerick, Ireland
First Known Use
1895, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near limerick
Cite this Entry
“Limerick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/limerick. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
Kids Definition
limerick
noun
lim·er·ick
ˈlim-(ə-)rik
: a humorous poem five lines long in which the first, second, and fifth lines have one rhyme and the third and fourth another
Geographical Definition
Limerick
geographical name
Lim·er·ick
ˈli-mə-rik
ˈlim-rik
1
county of southwestern Ireland in Munster area 1037 square miles (2696 square kilometers), population 191,809
2
city and port on the Shannon River in southwestern Ireland population 57,106
Note: The city of Limerick is the capital of the county of Limerick.
More from Merriam-Webster on limerick
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for limerick
Nglish: Translation of limerick for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about limerick
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