Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words
Definition of poet laureate - 3 dictionary results

poet laureate

 
Use poet laureate in a Sentence
–noun, plural poets laureate.
1. (in Great Britain) a poet appointed for life as an officer of the royal household, formerly expected to write poems in celebration of court and national events.
2. a poet recognized or acclaimed as the most eminent or representative of a country or locality.
3. (formerly) a poet whose efforts were officially recognized, as by a sovereign, university, etc.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To poet laureate
poet laureate  
n.   pl. poets laureate or poet laureates

  1. A poet appointed for life by a British monarch as a member of the royal household and expected to write poems celebrating occasions of national importance and honoring the royal family.

  2. A poet appointed to a similar honorary position or honored for artistic excellence.

  3. A poet acclaimed as the most excellent or most representative of a locality or group.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Cultural Dictionary

poet laureate

The national poet in Britain. Historically, the poet laureate's duty has been to compose official poetry for the king's or queen's birthday and for great public occasions, such as victories in war, coronations, and births and weddings in the royal family. The poets laureate of Britain have included Geoffrey Chaucer, William Wordsworth, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Note: The largely ceremonial position of poet laureate was created in the United States in 1985.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see poet laureate on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way