stanza

noun

stan·​za ˈstan-zə 

1

: a division of a poem consisting of a series of lines arranged together in a usually recurring pattern of meter and rhyme : strophe

2

sports : a period (such as a half or an inning) into which the duration of a game is divided

The game's prime moment wasn't the decisive and popular eighth-inning, two-run homer by Mark Bellhorn … but a sensational play by Boston's Manny Ramirez in the top of that same stanza.

—Roger Angell

stanzaic

stan-ˈzā-ik 

adjective

Examples of stanza in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To open the third stanza, Covington shot another takedown with no setup, which seemed like a sign of either desperation or fatigue. —Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024

Serbia scored just 10 points in the first nine minutes and missed all nine of its 3-point attempts in the final stanza, including a few wide-open ones. —John Hollinger, The Athletic, 9 Aug. 2024

The famous last stanza of the poem is the answer to the question people didn’t even know how to pose about the river of blood. —Caitlin Flanagan, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2024

Their defense also missed a whopping 10 tackles in the opening stanza. —Vincent Frank, Forbes, 24 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Italian, stay, abode, room, stanza, from Vulgar Latin *stantia stay — more at stance

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing stanza

• ballad stanza
• heroic stanza
• Rubaiyat stanza
• Spenserian stanza

Kids Definition

stanza

noun

stan·​za ˈstan-zə 

: a division of a poem consisting of a series of lines arranged together in a usually repeating pattern of rhythm and rhyme

stanzaic

stan-ˈzā-ik 

adjective