poet

noun po·et \ ˈpō-ət , -it also ˈpȯ(-)it \

|Updated on: 5 Jun 2018

Definition of poet

1 : one who writes poetry : a maker of verses

2 : one (such as a creative artist) of great imaginative and expressive capabilities and special sensitivity to the medium

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Examples of poet in a Sentence

Emily Dickinson is famous as the poet who rarely left the house but often journeyed to the depths of the human heart.

Recent Examples of poet from the Web

Though Lax’s works can be found on Amazon.com, Smith had to consult the poet’s estate in upstate New York for deeper exploration of what was often called a reclusive literary figure (though that element of his life is thought to be exaggerated).

— david patrick stearns, Philly.com, "The Crossing's Month of Moderns is back for another ambitious round," 31 May 2018
Their ranks include poets like Layli Long Soldier, Natalie Diaz, Joshua Whitehead and Tommy Pico, and the essayists and memoirists Elissa Washuta and Terese Marie Mailhot.

— New York Times, "With ‘There There,’ Tommy Orange Has Written a New Kind of American Epic," 31 May 2018
On Sunday, June 3, at 3 p.m., poets Joan Hofmann and John Surowiecki will give a free reading at Charter Oak Cultural Center, 21 Charter Oak Ave.

— carole goldberg, courant.com, "Local Authors Festival To Host Authors, Panel Discussions," 30 May 2018
Which means, there would be poets from the west as well as the east coast as well as the middle, and men and women, and that would shake out, hopefully, to some kind of parity, representative of what the population is like at large.

— krista stevens, Longreads, "Rita Dove on Creating a ‘Collage of American Consciousness’ with Poetry," 28 May 2018
No poet has ever been to the lunar surface, nor any journalist, architect nor songwriter.

— william harwood, CBS News, "Alan Bean, astronaut who walked on the moon, dies at 86," 26 May 2018
Still, Kidder did take some pride in aspects of her disease, noting that Lord Byron, her favorite poet, and novelist Thomas Wolfe also had bipolar disorder.

— mike miller, PEOPLE.com, "Homelessness, Addiction and Recovery: Inside Margot Kidder's Battle with Mental Health," 14 May 2018
Designed for painter Robert Chuey and his wife, poet Josephine Ain Chuey, the single-story home has two bedrooms and one bathroom within its 1,900 square feet of living space.

— neal j. leitereg, sacbee, "Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant buys Malibu beachfront property for $12.05 million | The Sacramento Bee," 6 May 2018
The independent movies are so far ahead now that there’s even a revisionist look at Fidel Castro, from inside the island and using the words of one his one-time admirers, poet Rafael Alcides.

— sarah moreno, miamiherald, "In film ‘Nadie,’ poet criticizes Fidel Castro but says he remains a socialist | Miami Herald," 20 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'poet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of poet

Middle English, from Anglo-French poete, from Latin poeta, from Greek poiētēs maker, poet, from poiein to make; akin to Sanskrit cinoti he gathers, heaps up

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

poet Synonyms

Synonyms

bard, minstrel, muse, poetaster, versifier;

Related Words

poetess;

poet laureate;

epigrammatist, lyricist, rhymer, sonneteer;

POET Defined for English Language Learners

poet

noun

Definition of poet for English Language Learners

: a person who writes poems

POET Defined for Kids

poet

noun po·et \ ˈpō-ət \

Definition of poet for Students

: a writer of poems

Learn More about poet

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for poet Spanish Central: Translation of poet Nglish: Translation of poet for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of poet for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about poet

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poet

Definition of poet

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Origin and Etymology of poet

poet Synonyms

Synonyms

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POET Defined for English Language Learners

poet

Definition of poet for English Language Learners

POET Defined for Kids

poet

Definition of poet for Students

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