stanza

noun

stan·​za ˈstan-zə 

1

: a division of a poem consisting of a series of lines arranged together in a usually recurring pattern of meter and rhyme : strophe

2

sports : a period (such as a half or an inning) into which the duration of a game is divided

… held a 10-point lead in the final stanza.

—Vincent Frank

stanzaic

stan-ˈzā-ik 

adjective

Examples of stanza in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The first two lines in each stanza are about the promise of the season, before giving way to its end, showing the necessity of what came before in order for the next season to begin. — Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026

Quarterbacks Isaiah Marshall and Chase Jenkins, who played last few minutes of the third quarter and the fourth stanza, rushed for 110 yards on 11 carries. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026

With mercurial, mediocre Baylor leading 13-6 to start the fourth quarter, CU responded by rushing the ball on six of its first seven plays to open the stanza. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2026

The music and cadence of its passages and stanzas, even specific lines, come to me often, and I am often moved again. — Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Italian, stay, abode, room, stanza, from Vulgar Latin *stantia stay — more at stance

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing stanza

• ballad stanza
• heroic stanza
• Rubaiyat stanza
• Spenserian stanza

Rhymes for stanza

• bonanza
• extravaganza

Kids Definition

stanza

noun

stan·​za ˈstan-zə 

: a division of a poem consisting of a series of lines arranged together in a usually repeating pattern of rhythm and rhyme

stanzaic

stan-ˈzā-ik 

adjective