couplet

noun

cou·​plet ˈkə-plət How to pronounce couplet (audio)
1
: two successive lines of verse forming a unit marked usually by rhythmic correspondence, rhyme, or the inclusion of a self-contained utterance : distich
She ended her poem with a rhyming couplet.
2
: couple

Examples of couplet in a Sentence

a poem made up of six couplets a couplet of statues flank the entrance to the church
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the final verse, the rapper drops a caustic couplet taking aim at Israel’s nearly year-long war in Gaza sparked by the Oct. 7 raid by Hamas militants on Israel that resulted in the killing of more than 1,200 and the kidnapping of more than 250 men, women and children. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2024 Yet, Em has been privy to the whispers, even responding to them on occasion, particularly in the form of a couplet. Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 13 July 2024 The couplet that starts the forty-ninth poem, quoted above, roots the reader nicely in sight and sound and therefore place. Wyatt Mason, Harper's Magazine, 26 Apr. 2024 In this poem, the couplets are reversed for no reason. Wyatt Mason, Harper's Magazine, 26 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for couplet 

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, diminutive of Old French cuple, couple — see couple entry 1

First Known Use

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of couplet was in 1580

Dictionary Entries Near couplet

Cite this Entry

“Couplet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/couplet. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

couplet

noun
cou·​plet ˈkəp-lət How to pronounce couplet (audio)
: two lines of verse that follow in order and form a unit
especially : two rhyming lines of the same length

More from Merriam-Webster on couplet

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!