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Definition of "haiku" []

  • A Japanese lyric verse form having three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables, traditionally invoking an aspect of nature or the seasons. (noun)
  • A poem written in this form. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "haiku" in a sentence
  • "For our purpose, the use of the term haiku will imply the three-line, five / seven / five syllabic pattern common to this form of Japanese poem."
  • "The first movement sets 8 of Ashbery's "37 Haiku" — after a swooping-down glissando opening, each haiku is declaimed by a solo singer while the rest accompany on "ahs" and "oohs" derived from the word haiku itself."
  • "Will probably write about the movie later (and not in haiku form as I think I have lots to say, just gotta let it gather in my mind for a few days, y'know)."