Shakespearean sonnet

noun

1. a sonnet form used by Shakespeare and having the rhyme scheme abab, cdcd, efef, gg.

Shakespearean sonnet

noun

1. a sonnet form developed in 16th-century England and employed by Shakespeare, having the rhyme scheme a b a b c d c d e f e f g g Also calledElizabethan sonnetEnglish sonnet

Word History and Origins

Origin of Shakespearean sonnet¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Carpenter then purposefully make fun of the outrageousness of her desire for her partner, when she busts out a line from what feels like a Shakespearean sonnet, “Where art thou? Why not uponeth me?”

From Salon

Bard did get a little gooey at one point when asked to write a Shakespearean sonnet and responded seductively in one of the three drafts that it quickly created.

From Washington Times

In less than a minute, the program had created in full a rhyming Shakespearean sonnet.

From Washington Post

They aren’t exactly on par with the Brownings’ love letters or Shakespearean sonnets, but, like the president’s public messages, they are heartfelt and poignant.

From Washington Post

The pages that comprise it are printed with Shakespearean sonnets.

From Literature