A stanza is one of the parts into which a poem is divided.
[technical]
stanza in British English
(ˈstænzə)
noun
1. prosody
a fixed number of verse lines arranged in a definite metrical pattern, forming a unit of a poem
2. US and Australian
a half or a quarter in a football match
Derived forms
stanzaed (ˈstanzaed)
adjective
stanzaic (stænˈzeɪɪk)
adjective
Word origin
C16: from Italian: halting place, from Vulgar Latin stantia (unattested) station, from Latin stāre to stand
stanza in American English
(ˈstænzə)
noun
a group of lines of verse forming one of the divisions of a poem or song: it is usually made up of four or more lines and often has a regular pattern in the number of lines and the arrangement of meter and rhyme
Derived forms
stanzaic (stanˈzaic) (ˈstænˈzeɪɪk)
adjective
Word origin
It, lit., stopping place, room < VL *stantia: see stance
Examples of 'stanza' in a sentence
stanza
Each stanza has four verses and each expresses a different aspect of this journey.
Christianity Today (2000)
The final stanza introduces the image of a funeral urn.
The Times Literary Supplement (2011)
Word lists with
stanza
Terms used in Australian Rules Football
In other languages
stanza
British English: stanza NOUN
A stanza is one of the parts into which a poem is divided.