limerick
noun
ˈlim-rik
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A limerick is a short, humorous (and frequently bawdy) five-line poem with a rhyme scheme of aabba. While the origins of this type of verse are unknown, some believe that the poem owes its name to a group of poets from Limerick, a port city in west-central Ireland, who wrote such verses. Others point to a parlor game in which players sang the chorus of an old soldiers' song with the phrase "will you come up to Limerick?" and then added impromptu verses. Regardless, a limerick’s characteristic rhythm comes from its uses of anapests, metrical feet consisting of two short syllables followed by one long syllable or two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable (as in "unaware"). To wit: "There once was a song from old Éire / Sung by the soldiers living there, / 'Will You Come Up to Limerick?' / Quite possibly did the trick / In naming the limericks we share."
Examples of limerick in a Sentence
Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 15 Feb. 2024
There’s a person writing beautiful custom poems that are sort of dirty limericks.
—Emily Leibert, Curbed, 2 Nov. 2024
Instead, what we’re served feels more like dirty limericks delivered at an excruciating pace by a bore with bad breath.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2024
In countless interviews, Joel has mused that the waltzing chord progression is monotonous and the lyrics akin to limericks.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 9 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for limerick
Cite this Entry
“Limerick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/limerick. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
limerick
noun
Geographical Definition
Limerick
geographical name
Note: The city of Limerick is the capital of the county of Limerick.
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