Verse
/ˈvɝs/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme.
nounPoetic form in general.
Sentence Examples
Give me chapter and verse.
He wrote several plays in verse.
Most of the play is written in verse
CEFR Practice Quiz
The poet recited a beautiful ____ about the ocean at the ceremony.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He wrote a beautiful ____ for his mother's birthday, expressing his deep love and his several many thanks today.
Word Origin & History
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”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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:
"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]:
"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:
"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:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The poet recited a beautiful ____ about the ocean at the ceremony.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He wrote a beautiful ____ for his mother's birthday, expressing his deep love and his several many thanks today.