haiku

hai-ku · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A Japanese poem of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five, traditionally evoking images of the natural world.

  2. 2.

    A poem written in this form in any language.

Forms

plural: haiku

Related words

See also: poetry, tanka, verse
Synonyms: hokku

Etymology

From Japanese haiku, a shortened form of haikai no ku "light verse," from haikai "amusement" + ku "verse, stanza."