nonsense verse

American  

noun

1. a form of light verse, usually for children, depicting imaginative characters in amusing situations of fantasy, whimsical in tone and with a rhythmic appeal, often employing fanciful phrases and meaningless made-up words.

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nonsense verse British  

noun

1. verse in which the sense is nonexistent or absurd, such as that of Edward Lear

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Etymology

Origin of nonsense verse

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

The 19th-century English artist and writer was a serious painter, but he is most loved for his nonsense verse “The Owl and the Pussycat.”

From New York Times • Nov. 20, 2018

In his younger days, Alfred himself produced some exceptionally funny parodies and nonsense verse.

From Washington Post • Jul. 10, 2017

John Lennon published a volume of nonsense verse In His Own Write.

From BBC • Oct. 14, 2016

He was not afraid to make up words, such as “lubberland of dream and laughter”, or veer into nonsense verse.

From Economist • Aug. 15, 2013

The subject was always asked to choose a rate of delivery which would correspond to his natural rate of reading nonsense verse, and the clicks were always associated with syllables, though not with words.

From Harvard Psychological Studies, Volume 1 Containing Sixteen Experimental Investigations from the Harvard Psychological Laboratory. by Münsterberg, Hugo