haiku
Americannoun
plural
haiku-
a major form of Japanese verse, written in 17 syllables divided into 3 lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables, and employing highly evocative allusions and comparisons, often on the subject of nature or one of the seasons.
-
a poem written in this form.
noun
Usage
What does haiku mean? Haiku is a traditional style of Japanese poetry in which 17 syllables are written in three lines, with the first line containing five syllables, the second line containing seven, and the third line containing five.The word haiku is also commonly used to refer to a poem written in this way. The plural is haiku, though it’s common to see people casually refer to haikus.For example:Haiku are poems. (five syllables)Haiku always have three lines (seven syllables)They often don’t rhyme. (five syllables)Traditional Japanese haiku often use natural subjects or imagery. This often involves using specific words that represent the seasons.However, for English speakers, haiku has become a popular style of poetry that can be about anything. Many people use haiku as a form for creating funny, entertaining, or absurd poems, using the 5-7-5 syllable format as a kind of challenge or guiding principle.
Etymology
Origin of haiku
First recorded in 1895–1900; from Japanese, from hai(kai) haikai + ku “stanza”; hokku
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Later in the record, “La Yugular” is a philosophical meditation on unity and oneness with lyrics in Spanish and Arabic, which suggests that the entire world might fit inside a haiku.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 11, 2025
A haiku by the famous Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō reads, “a caterpillar / this deep in fall / still not a butterfly.”
From Science Magazine • Apr. 4, 2024
To further his point, Mr Beauchamp then convinced the chatbot to criticise DPD in the form of a haiku, a Japanese poem.
From BBC • Jan. 19, 2024
She kind of tried every form: There are sonnets, poems that are sort of like haiku, everything.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2023
I pulled the folded haiku from my pocket and gave it back to Seanie.
From "Winger" by Andrew Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
