monostich

/məˈnɒstɪk/

Etymology

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

monostich means containing a single line of verse. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.

monostich is pronounced /məˈnɒstɪk/.

Why “monostich” is a great word

MONOSTICH — [Noun & Adjective] A poem, or stanza, consisting of a single line; as an adjective, describing such a verse. From the Ancient Greek μόνος (mónos, "alone, single") + στίχος (stíkhos, "line"). First attested in English 1570–80, from Late Latin monostichum, from Greek monóstichon. Unlike a couplet, which builds meaning through a balanced pair, or a stich, which is merely a unit within a longer work, a monostich is a self-sufficient, solitary edifice. It is the lone cypress etched against a winter sky, the single perfect sentence spoken into an empty room, or the final, tolling bell that contains its entire history of sound—a universe of meaning where the silence around the line is part of the poem.

adj

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.”

noun

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.”