port city in southwestern Ireland
"The tourists boarded their ferry to visit the historic limerick, a bustling port city in southwestern Ireland known for its vibrant markets and scenic cliffs."
a humorous verse form of 5 anapestic lines with a rhyme scheme aabba
"The comedian recited a classic limerick about two brothers who were both very lazy."
A humorous, often bawdy verse of five anapaestic lines, with the rhyme scheme aabba, and typically having a 9–9–6–6–9 cadence.
"The old man read aloud his limerick about the grumpy baker who dropped all his loaves on the cobblestones."
In plain English: A limerick is a funny five-line poem with a specific rhythm and rhyme scheme that usually ends with an unexpected punchline.
"My little brother wrote a funny limerick about his goldfish that made everyone laugh."
Usage: Avoid using "limerick" as a verb; it is strictly a noun referring to the specific poetic form. Do not confuse this term with similar-sounding words like "limner," which denotes an artist or illustrator.
A county of Ireland.
"The old map mistakenly labeled County Limerick as a limerick due to its similar shape."
The word limerick comes from the Irish town of Limerick. It entered English as a direct reference to that location rather than describing the poem's form itself.