monostich

M3O1N1O1S1T1I1C3H4
/məˈnɒstɪk/

noun

A poem having only one line.

OriginAncient Greek μόνος →
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

nounmonostich (plural monostichs)

plural monostichs

  1. A poem having only one line.

    Monostich is a self-contained, stand-alone poem consisting of a single line. It is also sometimes referred to as a micro-poem or one-line haiku. The magic of monostich poems lies in their brevity.

    2014, Anne Schuster, To the Islands, Siber Ink, →ISBN, page 76
adjective
  1. Containing a single line of verse.

    The piece is described on the title-page as being written 'chiefly in imitation of Aeschylus,' and in accordance with the Greek model it contains monostich passages, and is furnished with a Chorus and a Messenger.

    1895, William Richard Wood Stephens, The Life and Letters of Edward A. Freeman, D.C.L., LL. D., page 37

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekμόνος“alone, single”
  2. Englishmonostich

From Ancient Greek μόνος (mónos, “alone, single”) + στίχος (stíkhos, “line”). See stich.

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

monostich. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/monostich

MLA

“monostich.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/monostich. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “monostich,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/monostich.

Source: monostich on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.