poesy

[ poh-uh-see, -zee ]

noun

, plural po·e·sies.

1. the work or the art of poetic composition.
2. Archaic.
   1. poetry in general.
   2. verse or poetry in metrical form.
3. Obsolete.
   1. a poem or verse used as a motto. Compare posy ( def 2 ).
   2. a poem.

poesy

/ ˈpəʊɪzɪ /

noun

1. an archaic word for poetry
2. poetic.
   the art of writing poetry
3. archaic.
   a poem or verse, esp one used as a motto

Word History and Origins

Origin of poesy¹

1300–50; Middle English poesie < Middle French < Latin poēsis < Greek poíēsis poetic art, poetry, literally, a making, equivalent to poiē-, variant stem of poieîn to make + -sis -sis

Word History and Origins

Origin of poesy¹

C14: via Old French from Latin poēsis, from Greek, from poiēsis poetic art, creativity, from poiein to make

Example Sentences

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s adaptation of T. S. Eliot’s feline poesy ends its Broadway revival.

From New York Times

To learn grammar was to appreciate the book’s poesy, which in turn was to break open a once-inaccessible text.

From Salon

In rehearsals, the cast members binge on Shakespeare films and take vocabulary quizzes, all of which contributes to their ease with words like “spake” or “poesies.”

From New York Times

Some are full-blown scripts, such as the piracy/poesy plays “The Pirate Laureate of Port Town” and “The Pirate Laureate and the King of the Sea,” by company member Zachary Fernebok.

From Washington Post

She said that the name posy related to the French word for poem - poesy.

From BBC