limerick

¹ American  

[lim-er-ik] / ˈlɪm ər ɪk /

noun

1. a kind of humorous verse of five lines, in which the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme with each other, and the third and fourth lines, which are shorter, form a rhymed couplet.

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Limerick ² American  

[lim-er-ik] / ˈlɪm ər ɪk /

noun

1. a county in N Munster, in the SW Republic of Ireland. 037 sq. mi. (2,686 sq. km).

2. its county seat: a seaport at the head of the Shannon estuary.

3. Angling. a fishhook having a sharp bend below the barb.

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Limerick ¹ British  

/ ˈlɪmərɪk /

noun

1. a county of SW Republic of Ireland, in N Munster province: consists chiefly of an undulating plain with rich pasture and mountains in the south. County town: Limerick. Pop: 175 304 (2002). Area: 2686 sq km (1037 sq miles)

2. a port in SW Republic of Ireland, county town of Limerick, at the head of the Shannon estuary. Pop: 86 998 (2002)

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limerick ² British  

/ ˈlɪmərɪk /

noun

1. a form of comic verse consisting of five anapaestic lines of which the first, second, and fifth have three metrical feet and rhyme together and the third and fourth have two metrical feet and rhyme together

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limerick Cultural  

1. A form of humorous five-line verse, such as:

   There once was a young man from Kew

   Who found a dead mouse in his stew.

   Said the waiter, “Don't shout

   Or wave it about,

   Or the rest will be wanting one too!”

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Usage

What is a limerick? A limerick is a five-line poem that is often humorous. Limericks use the rhyme scheme AABBA, meaning that the first two lines rhyme with each other, and then the next (usually shorter) two lines rhyme with each other, and the last line rhymes with the first two lines. For example:

A limerick has five lines, not nine. Start by rhyming two lines real fine. Then rhyme another two. It’s pretty easy to do. Just don’t forget the punch line.

The limerick is a popular form of poetry that’s generally done just for fun, as opposed to being composed for high artistic value. Many children’s nursery rhymes are formatted as limericks. Limericks are also known for being used as a way to tell very raunchy jokes.

Etymology

Origin of limerick

1895–1900; after Limerick; allegedly from social gatherings where the group sang “Will you come up to Limerick?” after each set of verses, extemporized in turn by the members of the party

Explanation

A limerick is a humorous form of poetry that rhymes and has five lines. Many limericks are dirty. When you study literature, you'll probably read some sonnets, sestinas, haiku, and plays written in verse: there might not be much attention given to limericks. That's because limericks are a more popular, non-literary form of poetry: they're mainly humorous and often sexual. A limerick has five lines and follows the rhyme scheme aabba, using what is called anapestic meter (which has to do with syllables). Many limericks involve a man from Nantucket, usually doing something unprintable with a bucket.

Example Sentences

Email your limerick and name to [email protected] by noon Monday, and if we get enough fun ones, we’ll publish a selection to carry us into spring.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 15, 2024

Entrants would write the final line of a limerick to enter into the draw to win a brand new car.

From Salon • Jul. 10, 2023

For today’s homework, try to mix and match a format, a style and a topic — like, “Write a limerick in the style of Snoop Dogg about global warming.”

From New York Times • Mar. 28, 2023

Angry Dan, from Walthamstow, east London, is known for his vibrant colours and memorable rhymes - writing an original limerick which he paints on each mural.

From BBC • Sep. 24, 2022

“I thought I was going daft. I thought I might end up wearing a teacup on my head and spouting limerick poems.”

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

Related Words

• ballad
• composition
• epic
• lyric
• poetry
• rhyme
• sonnet
• verse
• writing