Villanelle

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: vil=la=nelle

CIDE DICTIONARY

Villanelle, n. [F.].

 A poem written in tercets with but two rhymes, the first and third verse of the first stanza alternating as the third verse in each successive stanza and forming a couplet at the close.  E. W. Gosse.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Villanelle, n. a usu. pastoral or lyrical poem of 19 lines, with only two rhymes throughout, and some lines repeated.

Etymology

F f. It. villanella fem. of villanello rural, dimin. of villano (as VILLAIN)