plural verses
1
: a line of metrical writing
a fourteen-syllable verse
2
a(1)
: speech or writing distinguished from ordinary language by its distinctive patterning of sounds and especially by its rhythm : metrical language
characters who speak only in verse
(2)
b
: poem
c
: a body of metrical writing (as of a period or country)
The cinquain in older French verse was any kind of five-line stanza.—
John Hollander
John Hollander3
a
b
: a part of a song that typically occurs in a series, precedes the chorus, and follows any introduction
Sing the first and last verses only.
4
: one of the short divisions into which a chapter of scripture (such as the Bible, Torah, or Quran) is traditionally divided
Examples of verse in a Sentence
Noun
The epic tale was written in verse.
The second verse is sung the same way as the first.
Verb
while in prison, he versed himself in the rights of the incarcerated
Recent Examples on the Web
Kyle Denis, Billboard, 18 Apr. 2025
The record does, however, feature a brand new verse from Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2025
Red-hot at the time, Fif swoops in with a verse that could never top the calamitous theatrics that Elliott brought to the original.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
For the rendition, Musgraves kicked off the first verse, before sharing lines in the chorus with Finneas.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for verse
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Noun
With her legal team’s permission, Yanou and Manian, who both prefer to keep a low profile and are no longer a part of Cascada, interpolated Reilly’s chorus and wrote entirely new verses and production arrangements.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 18 Apr. 2025
The record does, however, feature a brand new verse from Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2025
Red-hot at the time, Fif swoops in with a verse that could never top the calamitous theatrics that Elliott brought to the original.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
For the rendition, Musgraves kicked off the first verse, before sharing lines in the chorus with Finneas.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for verse
Cite this Entry
“Verse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verse. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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