also: めしゅうど
specially invited poet at the Imperial New Year's Poetry Reading
Modern, specific role: a person invited to compose and recite a poem at the 歌会始 (Utakai Hajime), the Imperial New Year's Poetry Reading.
See also: 歌会始
court compiler of waka anthologies
Historical role: a person employed by the Imperial Court to compile anthologies of waka poetry. Not a modern occupation.
person summoned to perform bugaku for the nobility
Historical term: a person summoned to perform bugaku (court music and dance) for the nobility. Rare, specialized usage.
See also: 舞楽
The person chosen as the specially invited poet for this year's Imperial New Year's Poetry Reading was a famous tanka poet.
In the Heian period, court compilers were involved in compiling imperial waka anthologies.
Performers were summoned for the bugaku performance at the imperial court.
Bugaku court music and dance; 召人 were summoned to perform it for the nobility.
Standard kanji form; the reading めしうど is the most common modern pronunciation.
Alternate historical reading; less common today.
Compound of 召 (めし, 'summon') + 人 (うど, 'person'). The reading うど is an older form of ひと. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term consistently refers to a person summoned for a specific courtly or ceremonial role.