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

… held a 10-point lead in the final stanza.

—Vincent Frank

stanzaic

stan-ˈzā-ik 

adjective

Examples of stanza in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Quarterbacks Isaiah Marshall and Chase Jenkins, who played last few minutes of the third quarter and the fourth stanza, rushed for 110 yards on 11 carries. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026

In bursts of bright stanzas, Chen Chen transports us through the landscape of his childhood into his early twenties. — Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026

The music and cadence of its passages and stanzas, even specific lines, come to me often, and I am often moved again. — Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026

Dracut’s James O’Brien potted a goal with 15 seconds remaining in the stanza to cut things to 4-2. — Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 10 June 2026

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

Rhymes for stanza

• bonanza
• extravaganza

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