Etymology 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”).
1
A poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme.
Restoration literature is well known for its carefully constructed verse.
2
Poetic form in general.
The restrictions of verse have steadily been relaxed over time.
3
One of several similar units of a song, consisting of several lines, generally rhymed.
Note the shift in tone between the first verse and the second.
4
A small section of a holy book (Bible, Quran etc.)
5
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music A portion of an anthem to be performed by a single voice to each part.
Etymology 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”).
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:
2
To tell in verse, or poetry.
playing on pipes of corn and versing lovec. 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]:
He versed us in the finer points of category theory.
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:
verse
verb
Etymology Back-formation from versus, misconstrued as a third-person singular verb verses.
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:
2 more examples
Ariel is worried for the race, because she is versing her best competitor, and she really wants to win.2020 April 9, AgentPigeon122 [username], “The Graphic Organizer Information”, in Course Hero:
There was an ODI last year where the Blackcaps versed Ireland, and we almost lost, but we didn't.2023, “There had to be blood” (4:13 from the start), in Taskmaster NZ, season 4, episode 6, spoken by Mel Bracewell: