Dictionary

verse en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• vûrs
• /vɜrs/ (US)
• /vɜːs/ (UK)
• /ˈvɝs/ (General-American)
• /ˈvɜːs/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English vers, from a mixture of Old English fers and Old French vers; both from Latin versus (“a line in writing, and in poetry a verse; (originally) row, furrow”), from vertō (“to turn around”).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme.
   • Restoration literature is well known for its carefully constructed verse.
2. (countable, uncountable) Poetic form in general.
   • The restrictions of verse have steadily been relaxed over time.
3. (countable, uncountable) One of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed.
   • Note the shift in tone between the first verse and the second.
4. (countable, uncountable) A small section of a holy book (Bible, Quran etc.)
5. (countable, uncountable) A portion of an anthem to be performed by a single voice to each part.

Forms

Deriveds

versemaker · monoverse · neck verse · midverse · society verse · chapter and verse · nonverse · verselet · Leonine verse · circumversion · mono-verse · versette · underverse · serpentine verse · sword verse · verse-chorus · versemaking · versemonger · manyverse · Pythian verse · versewright · versecraft · clobber verse · verseless · versesmith · verselike · verseman · blank verse · heroic verse · Alcaic verse · free verse

Holonyms

chapter

Relateds

versification · versify

Synonyms

stanza · poetry

Translations (158)

ga véarsaíocht (poetic form in general) · ga véarsa (a small section of the Bible) · hu vers (a small section of the Bible) · yi פּסוק (a small section of the Bible) · ro verset (a small section of the Bible) · bg стих (a small section of the Bible) · sl verz (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · nl vers (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · bn পদ্য (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · cy adnod (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · gu કલમ (a small section of the Bible) · pt verso (poetic form in general) · eo versiklo (a small section of the Bible) · cy adnod (a small section of the Bible) · pl wiersz (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · ru купле́т (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · da vers (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · ja 節 (a small section of the Bible) · hu verze (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · nn strofe (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · vo setül (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · es versículo (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · ar عَدَد (a small section of the Bible) · fi säkeistö (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · es estrofa (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · fa آیه (a small section of the Bible) · es verso (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · nl vers (a small section of the Bible) · he בַּיִת (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · ru стих (poetic form in general) · cs verš (a small section of the Bible) · pl werset (a small section of the Bible) · ga véarsaíocht (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · ro stih (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · hu vers (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · fr verset (a small section of the Bible) · it versetto (a small section of the Bible) · chk wokisin (a small section of the Bible) · ja バース (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · fa نظم (poetic form in general) · bg строфа (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · he פָּסוּק (a small section of the Bible) · sa गाथा (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · uk пое́ма (poetic form in general) · he שירה (poetic form in general) · ka კუპლეტი (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · mk верс (poetic form in general) · tg оят (a small section of the Bible) · rue стих (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · cy pennill (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · ckb ھەڵبەست (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · sh стих (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · cs verš (poetic form in general) · gl verso (poetic form in general) · hy չափածո (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · cs verše (poetic form in general) · uk вірш (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · pt verso (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · uk вірш (a small section of the Bible) · gl versículo (a small section of the Bible) · sv vers (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · de Strophe (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · sah хоһоон (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · no vers (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · nb strofe (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · sh верс (poetic form in general) · sl stih (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · fr couplet (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · sh vers (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · sk verš (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · sv strof (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · ga véarsa (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · fi säkeistö (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · it verso (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · es verso (poetic form in general) · tr ayet (a small section of the Bible) · ka ლექსი (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · ro vers (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · sh верс (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · ta பா (poetic form in general) · sv vers (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · ro strofă (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · sk strofa (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · fi jae (a small section of the Bible) · io verso (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · ar آيَة (a small section of the Bible) · fa مصرع (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · es verso (a small section of the Bible) · hi कविता (poetic form in general) · ca vers (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · rgn virs (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · gd earrann (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · hy չափածո (poetic form in general) · sh стих (poetic form in general) · ca verset (a small section of the Bible) · tg оя (a small section of the Bible) · el στίχος (poetic form in general) · ka ლექსი (poetic form in general) · pt versículo (a small section of the Bible) · hi गाथा (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · el στίχος (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · sh стих (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · ar نَظْم (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · grc ἐδάφιον (a small section of the Bible) · hi छंद (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · nb vers (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · nn vers (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · de Vers (a small section of the Bible) · da vers (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · fa بند (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · de Vers (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · hu versszak (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · sh stih (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · enm vers (a small section of the Bible) · enm vers (poetic form in general) · cmn 詩句 /诗句 (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · da strofe (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · hi छंद (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · sh stih (poetic form in general) · ta பா (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · be верш (a small section of the Bible) · te పద్యము (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · eo verso (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · mk стих (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · ta பா (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · ru строфа́ (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · ar بَيْت (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · sh vers (poetic form in general) · uk пое́зія (poetic form in general) · it strofa (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · fr vers (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · rue верш (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · sl kitica (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · fi säe (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · he שִׁירָה (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · ru стих (a small section of the Bible) · be верш (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · ru стих (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · cs verš (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · ka სტროფი (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · hy տուն (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · bg поезия (poetic form in general) · es versículo (a small section of the Bible) · el στροφή (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · mk стих (poetic form in general) · ky сап (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · nl couplet (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · el εδάφιο (a small section of the Bible) · fi runous (poetic form in general) · es verso (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · cs poezie (poetic form in general) · de Vers (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · gl verso (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · bg стих (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · pt verso (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · sh stih (one of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed) · cmn 詩 /诗 (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme) · tr ayet (poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme)

verse en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• vûrs
• /vɜrs/ (US)
• /vɜːs/ (UK)
• /ˈvɝs/ (General-American)
• /ˈvɜːs/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English vers, from a mixture of Old English fers and Old French vers; both from Latin versus (“a line in writing, and in poetry a verse; (originally) row, furrow”), from vertō (“to turn around”).

Meanings

1. (obsolete) To compose verses.
   • It is not rhyming and versing that maketh a poet. a. 1587 (date written), Phillip Sidney [i.e., Philip Sidney], An Apologie for Poetrie. […], London: […] [James Roberts] for Henry Olney, […], published 1595, →OCLC; republished as Edward Arber, editor, An Apologie for Poetrie (English Reprints), London: [Alexander Murray & Son], 1 April 1868, →OCLC:
2. (transitive) To tell in verse, or poetry.
   • playing on pipes of corn and versing love c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:
3. (figuratively, transitive) to educate about, to teach about.
   • Not unnaturally, “Auntie” took this communication in bad part.[…]Next day she[…]tried to recover her ward by the hair of the head. Then, thwarted, the wretched creature went to the police for help; she was versed in the law, and perhaps had spared no pains to keep on good terms with the local constabulary. 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XLIV, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, page 361:
   • He versed us in the finer points of category theory.

Forms

verse en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• vûrs
• /vɜrs/ (US)
• /vɜːs/ (UK)
• /ˈvɝs/ (General-American)
• /ˈvɜːs/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Back-formation from versus, misconstrued as a third-person singular verb verses.

Meanings

1. (colloquial, proscribed, sometimes) To oppose, to compete against.
   • When teams play now they "verse" each other. "Who did you verse?" (Forget "whom". It's long dead.) "We're versing you next." Pity the Latin scholar who might feel the loss of "versus" more keenly than many. 2007 March 26, Nick Green, “Being illiterate and innumerate shouldn’t shame anyone”, in Sydney Morning Herald:
   • If you've got Onslaught let me know and I'll verse you. 2009 August 11, CrazyGunner [username], “Verse me on Onslaught”, in Nintendo Life:
   • Ariel is worried for the race, because she is versing her best competitor, and she really wants to win. 2020 April 9, AgentPigeon122 [username], “The Graphic Organizer Information”, in Course Hero:
   • There was an ODI last year where the Blackcaps versed Ireland, and we almost lost, but we didn't. 2023, “There had to be blood” (4:13 from the start), in Taskmaster NZ, season 4, episode 6, spoken by Mel Bracewell:

Forms