"a petty poet, a feeble rhymster, a writer of indifferent verses," 1590s, from Middle French poetastre (1550s), from Latin poeta (see poet) + French-derived -aster, a diminutive (pejorative) suffix. Old Norse had skaldfifl in roughly the same sense. Swinburne (1872) used poeticule. Related: Poetastry.
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