Italian sonnet

noun

: a sonnet consisting of an octave rhyming abba abba and a sestet rhyming in any of various patterns (such as cde cde or cdc dcd)

called also Petrarchan sonnet

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Italian sonnet was in 1613

Dictionary Entries Near Italian sonnet

Cite this Entry

“Italian sonnet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Italian%20sonnet. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on Italian sonnet

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!