Doggerel

Doggerel
Doggerel Dog"ger*el, n. A sort of loose or irregular verse; mean or undignified poetry. [1913 Webster]

Doggerel like that of Hudibras. -- Addison. [1913 Webster]

The ill-spelt lines of doggerel in which he expressed his reverence for the brave sufferers. --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Doggerel — is a derogatory term for verse considered of little literary value. The word probably derived from dog, suggesting either ugliness, or unpalatability (as in food fit only for dogs).[1] Contents 1 Etymology 2 Variants 3 …   Wikipedia

  • Doggerel — Dog ger*el, a. [OE. dogerel.] Low in style, and irregular in measure; as, doggerel rhymes. [1913 Webster] This may well be rhyme doggerel, quod he. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Doggerel —   [ dɔgərəl] der, s/ s, englische Bezeichnung für einen holprigen Vers ähnlich dem deutschen Knittelvers, oft bewusst für komische Effekte verwendet …   Universal-Lexikon

  • doggerel — late 14c. (adj.); 1630s (n.), probably from DOG (Cf. dog) + pejorative suffix REL (Cf. rel) and applied to bad poetry perhaps with a suggestion of puppyish clumsiness, or being fit only for dogs. Attested as a surname from mid 13c., but the sense …   Etymology dictionary

  • doggerel — ► NOUN 1) comic verse composed in irregular rhythm. 2) badly written verse. ORIGIN apparently from DOG(Cf. ↑doggish) (used contemptuously) …   English terms dictionary

  • doggerel — [dôg′rəldôg′ər əl] n. [ME dogerel (Chaucer), prob. < It doga, barrel stave, but infl. by dog as in DOG LATIN: parallel with Ger knüttelvers, lit., cudgel verse, Prov bastonnet, little stick, type of verse] 1. trivial, awkward, often comic… …   English World dictionary

  • doggerel — /daw geuhr euhl, dog euhr /, adj. 1. (of verse) a. comic or burlesque, and usually loose or irregular in measure. b. rude; crude; poor. n. 2. doggerel verse. Also, doggrel /daw greuhl, dog reuhl/. [1350 1400; ME; see DOG, REL; cf. DOG LATIN] * *… …   Universalium

  • doggerel — 1. adjective /ˈdɒɡərəl/ a) Of a crude or irregular construction. (Originally applied to humorous verse, but now to verse lacking artistry or meaning.) True wit has seen its best days long ago; …   Wiktionary

  • doggerel — [[t]dɒ̱gər(ə)l, AM dɔ͟ː [/t]] N UNCOUNT (disapproval) If you refer to a poem as doggerel, you are emphasizing that you think it is very bad poetry. ...fragments of meaningless doggerel …   English dictionary

  • doggerel — I. adjective Etymology: Middle English dogerel, probably diminutive of dogge dog Date: 14th century loosely styled and irregular in measure especially for burlesque or comic effect; also marked by triviality or inferiority II. noun Date: 1630… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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