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Definition of limerick

limerick

/ˈlɪm.ər.ɪk/
lim · er · ick
Plural:limericks
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limerick Lexical Profile

limerick Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A humorous five-line poem with a strict AABBA rhyme scheme and a distinctive bouncy rhythm, in which the first, second, and fifth lines are longer than the third and fourth.

Example

"The English teacher asked each student to write a clever limerick to read aloud to the class."

2

A historic city and county in the province of Munster in southwestern Ireland, situated at the head of the Shannon Estuary.

Synonyms
View all synonyms for limerick

• Nearby Words

limeade
limelight
limequat
limerick
limescale
limestone
limestone falls

Word Origin & Etymology

Named after the city of Limerick in Ireland, likely from the custom at 19th-century social gatherings of singing improvised nonsense verses followed by the chorus "Will you come up to Limerick?"

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Limerick. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/limerick
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