clerihew

[ kler-uh-hyoo ]
/ ˈklɛr əˌhyu /

noun Prosody.

a light verse form, usually consisting of two couplets, with lines of uneven length and irregular meter, the first line usually containing the name of a well-known person.

QUIZZES

CAN YOU FEEL THE WEAL WITH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ?

Did you collect all of last week’s words, but eftsoons forget what they mean? Don’t worry, we’re here to jog your memory. See how many words from the week of May 18 to 24 you can get right!
Question 1 of 7
weal
well-being, prosperity, or happiness.
the intervening time.
a somewhat prolonged, sharp, shrill cry, as of pain, fear, or surprise.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of clerihew

1925–30; named after E. Clerihew Bentley (1875–1956), English writer, its inventor

Words nearby clerihew

cleric, clerical, clerical collar, clericalism, clericals, clerihew, clerisy, clerk, clerk of works, clerkess, clerkly
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for clerihew

British Dictionary definitions for clerihew

clerihew
/ (ˈklɛrɪˌhjuː) /

noun

a form of comic or satiric verse, consisting of two couplets of metrically irregular lines, containing the name of a well-known person

Word Origin for clerihew

C20: named after Edmund Clerihew Bentley, who invented it
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012