# verse

Pronunciation: say "VURS" US /ˈvɝs/, UK /ˈvɜːs/

## Noun

1. One of the repeating sections of a song, made up of several lines that usually rhyme.
   - Simple: A part of a song made up of several lines, often with words that rhyme.
   - _The chorus returns after each verse to tie the song together._
   - _The band added a new verse to the old folk tune._
2. A short numbered section of a holy book, such as the Bible or Quran.
   - Simple: A short numbered part of a holy book like the Bible or Quran.
   - _She marked her favorite verse with a thin ribbon._
   - _The teacher asked the class to memorize one verse each week._
3. Literary composition written in lines with meter or rhythm, as distinct from prose.
   - Simple: Writing set out in lines with rhythm, not like normal sentences.
   - _He turned to verse after years of writing novels._
   - _Much of the early epic survives only as fragments of verse._
4. Writing arranged in metrical lines, typically with a regular beat and often a set rhyme scheme, as distinct from prose.
   - Simple: A kind of poetry that follows a steady beat and a set rhyming pattern.
   - _The poet worked the whole tale into rhyming verse._
   - _Students study the patterns of meter that give verse its measured sound._
6. A passage of an anthem performed by a single voice on each part, rather than by the full choir.
   - Simple: A part of an anthem sung by one voice for each part.
   - _The choirmaster assigned the verse to four of his strongest singers._
   - _After the full chorus, the music thins to a quiet verse._

## Verb

5. To play against or compete with an opponent. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: To play against someone in a game or contest.
   - _Local clubs verse one another twice each season._
   - _He asked which side they would verse in the playoffs._
7. To relate or express a subject in poetic form.
   - Simple: To tell a story or idea by writing it as poetry.
   - _He chose to verse the founding myth rather than record it in plain prose._
   - _The minstrel versed the king's victory for the gathered court._
8. To instruct or educate someone thoroughly in a particular subject.
   - Simple: To teach someone about a subject so they understand it well.
   - _The old steward versed the heir in every duty of the estate._
   - _A good guide will verse newcomers in the customs of the region._

## Verb

9. To compose lines of poetry. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To make up and write poems.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–4, 6–9** — From Middle English 'vers', from a mix of Old English 'fers' and Old French 'vers', both from Latin 'versus' ('a line in writing or poetry; originally a row or furrow'), from 'vertō' ('to turn around').
**Meaning 5** — A back-formation from 'versus', which was misconstrued as a third-person singular verb 'verses'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/verse (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).