3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Sonnet  \Son"net\,  v.  i. 
  To  compose  sonnets.  ``Strains  that  come  almost  to 
  sonneting.''  --Milton. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Sonnet  \Son"net\,  n.  [F.,  fr  It  sonetto,  fr  suono  a  sound,  a 
  song,  fr  L.  sonus  a  sound.  See  {Sound}  noise.] 
  1.  A  short  poem,  --  usually  amatory.  [Obs.]  --Shak. 
 
  He  had  a  wonderful  desire  to  chant  a  sonnet  or  hymn 
  unto  Apollo  Pythius.  --Holland. 
 
  2.  A  poem  of  fourteen  lines,  --  two  stanzas,  called  the 
  octave,  being  of  four  verses  each  and  two  stanzas,  called 
  the  sestet,  of  three  verses  each  the  rhymes  being 
  adjusted  by  a  particular  rule 
 
  Note:  In  the  proper  sonnet  each  line  has  five  accents,  and 
  the  octave  has  but  two  rhymes,  the  second  third 
  sixth  and  seventh  lines  being  of  one  thyme,  and  the 
  first  fourth  fifth  and  eighth  being  of  another.  In 
  the  sestet  there  are  sometimes  two  and  sometimes  three 
  rhymes;  but  in  some  way  its  two  stazas  rhyme  together. 
  Often  the  three  lines  of  the  first  stanza  rhyme 
  severally  with  the  three  lines  of  the  second  In 
  Shakespeare's  sonnets,  the  first  twelve  lines  rhymed 
  alternately,  and  the  last  two  rhyme  together. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  sonnet 
  n  :  a  verse  form  consisting  of  14  lines  with  a  fixed  rhyme 
  scheme 
  v  1:  praise  in  a  sonnet 
  2:  compose  a  sonnet 

browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
or search   thesauri dictionary search words