SINCE 1828
broken rhyme
nounDefinition of broken rhyme
1
: rhyme in which one of the rhyming elements is divided by the break or by a pause between two words (as in Lord Byron's rhyming “ … Attic; all … ” with “mathematical”)
2
: rhyme involving division of a word by the break between two lines in order to end a line with a rhyme provided by the first part of the word (as in G. M. Hopkins's dividing king-/dom to rhyme king- with wing)
Comments on broken rhyme
What made you want to look up broken rhyme? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Word Puzzles
-
- Which answer pairs best with each of the following words? living, estate, club, music, road, mile
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Word Puzzles
Challenge yourself with these word puzzles. Can you solve them all?
Take the quiz -
Where in the World? A Quiz
Do you know what languages these words come from?
Take the quiz -
Spell It
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
Take the quiz -
Syn City
Build a city of skyscrapers—one synonym at a time.
Play the game
Share broken rhyme
Resources for broken rhyme