What does "verse" mean?
A poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme.
Verse
/ˈvɝs/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme.
- Grammar: verse is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: poetry, verse line, acquaint, adage.
- Useful contrasts: continuous prose, burthen, chorus.
- Usage evidence: He wrote several plays in verse.
How to use "verse"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "verse" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "verse" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "verse" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "verse" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "verse" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "poetry" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "verse", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme. countable, uncountable
"Restoration literature is well known for its carefully constructed verse."
- 2 a piece of poetry wordnet
- 3 Poetic form in general. countable, uncountable
"The restrictions of verse have steadily been relaxed over time."
- 4 a line of metrical text wordnet
- 5 One of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed. countable, uncountable
"Note the shift in tone between the first verse and the second."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 literature in metrical form wordnet
- 7 A small section of a holy book (Bible, Quran etc.) countable, uncountable
- 8 A portion of an anthem to be performed by a single voice to each part. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To compose verses. obsolete
"It is not rhyming and versing that maketh a poet."
- 2 To oppose, to compete against. colloquial, proscribed, sometimes
"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."
- 3 familiarize through thorough study or experience wordnet
- 4 To tell in verse, or poetry. transitive
"playing on pipes of corn and versing love"
- 5 compose verses or put into verse wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 to educate about, to teach about. figuratively, transitive
"He versed us in the finer points of category theory."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"He wrote several plays in verse."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "verse"?
Common synonyms include: poetry, verse line, acquaint, adage, advertise, advertise of.
How do you use "verse" in a sentence?
He wrote several plays in verse.
How do you pronounce "verse"?
Pronounced /ˈvɝs/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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”).
Etymology 2
Back-formation from versus, misconstrued as a third-person singular verb verses.