noun

verse

VURS

noun

Writing arranged with rhythm and often rhyme, as in poetry.

"He wrote the wedding toast in verse rather than plain prose."

"The old ballad was passed down for generations in rhyming verse."

One repeated section of a song's lyrics, distinct from the chorus.

"The second verse tells the story from the other person's point of view."

A single numbered line or short section of a religious text such as the Bible or Quran.

"She quoted a verse from the Book of Psalms at the funeral."

How to Use Verse

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishPoetic or rhythmic writing, a section of a song, or a numbered line in a sacred text.

Common pairings

a verse of the song Bible verse free verse

Word Forms

versed past tense, versed past tense, verses plural, verses singular, verses singular

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He wrote the wedding toast in _____ rather than plain prose.

Etymology

From Old English fers and Old French vers, both ultimately from Latin versus, "a line of writing" — literally "a turn", since a line of writing "turns" back at its end like a plough furrow.

Rhymes for verse

averse inverse reverse adverse diverse immerse universe converse perverse disperse traverse multiverse

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