Definition of stanza
: a division of a poem consisting of a series of lines arranged together in a usually recurring pattern of meter and rhyme : strophe
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Recent Examples of stanza from the Web
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And abecedarius (a poem in which the lines or stanzas begin with the letters of the alphabet — in order).
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UNO cut into the deficit in the eighth via an error from the opposition, but gave up three more tallies in the final stanza.
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The test prep materials neglected to insert the stanza break.
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Of the five stanzas in Lee’s record, only the first two are in the Willie John record.
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And with a stanza of a song that Mr. Santana wrote, the defense lawyer moved to portray the witness as a man with a distrust of law enforcement that predated the shooting.
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This 15-word stanza sparked an array of debate among fans and celebrities.
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And, in a way, the book was the end of a particular kind of recognizable verse for her; no stanza could contain it.
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What’s more, attempts to thwart the spread of the DeCSS algorithm resulted in an outpouring of creative publications based on it, including T-shirts and even an epic poem written in haiku stanzas.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stanza'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of stanza
Italian, stay, abode, room, stanza, from Vulgar Latin *stantia stay — more at stance
First Known Use: 1589
Other Literature Terms
STANZA Defined for English Language Learners
STANZA Defined for Kids
stanza
playDefinition of stanza for Students
: a group of lines forming a division of a poem
Learn More about stanza
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Spanish Central: Translation of stanza Nglish: Translation of stanza for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about stanza
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