poet

noun

po·​et ˈpō-ət How to pronounce poet (audio)
-it,
 also  ˈpȯ(-)it
1
: one who writes poetry : a maker of verses
2
: one (such as a creative artist) of great imaginative and expressive capabilities and special sensitivity to the medium

Examples of poet in a Sentence

Emily Dickinson is famous as the poet who rarely left the house but often journeyed to the depths of the human heart.
Recent Examples on the Web Beyond partnering with luxury brands, Nachum also hopes to collaborate with other artists, musicians, poets, actors and architects. Christopher Kuo, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 For example, civic heroine and poet Laudomia Forteguerri, a young widow and mother of three, commanded a battalion of women fighting to protect the city of Siena against attack. Norman Weinstein, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024 The dramatic work was inspired by the life of 20th-century Latin American poet Delmira Agustini, one of the first female poets of the modern era. The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024 Ancestry’s findings, which were announced Monday (March 4), show that both Swift and the poet — who was born in 1830 and passed away at 55 years old in 1886 — are descended from the same 17th century English immigrant. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 4 Mar. 2024 Taylor Swift has a very famous poet in her bloodline. Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 Apparently poetry is hereditary — just ask Taylor Swift, the heralded lyricist who shares a bloodline with a very famous poet. Shania Russell, EW.com, 4 Mar. 2024 Such objections were memorably articulated, in another context, by the St. Lucian poet Derek Walcott. Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2024 The new Oxford edition, ever dutiful, treats us to the poet’s earnest envoi, its stanzas stiff with respectable yearning. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'poet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French poete, from Latin poeta, from Greek poiētēs maker, poet, from poiein to make; akin to Sanskrit cinoti he gathers, heaps up

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of poet was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near poet

Cite this Entry

“Poet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poet. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

poet

noun
po·​et ˈpō-ət How to pronounce poet (audio)
-it
: a person who writes poetry

More from Merriam-Webster on poet

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