poet

¹

[poh-it]

noun

1. a person who composes poetry.

   Synonyms: bard, versifier

2. a person who has the gift of poetic thought, imagination, and creation, together with eloquence of expression.

poet.

²

abbreviation

1. poetic.

2. poetical.

3. poetry.

poet

/ ˈpəʊɪt /

noun

1. a person who writes poetry

2. a person with great imagination and creativity

Other Word Forms

• poetless adjective
• poetlike adjective
• nonpoet noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of poet¹

1250–1300; Middle English poete < Latin poēta < Greek poiētḗs poet, literally, maker, equivalent to poiē-, variant stem of poieîn to make + -tēs agent noun suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of poet¹

C13: from Latin poēta, from Greek poiētēs maker, poet, from poiein to make

Example Sentences

The frontiersman poet Joaquin Miller was assigned to write about a week spent on Wall Street.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Lee is a warrior poet who claims to hate poetry, and Hawke sees Lee as more confused than anything.

Read more on Salon

The show features wall text with a quote by Beat poet and writer Jack Kerouac.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

With community as a centerpoint, the organization aims to serve poets and authors by giving them a platform to share their work, attend workshops and create connections among peers.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The Birmingham-born Hustle star portrays the titular character Cyrano – a romantic poet with crippling self-consciousness caused by his distinctive nose, which takes make-up artists 40 minutes to attach to Lester's face.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• artist 
• author 
• dramatist 
• lyricist 
• writer