poesy

P3O1E1S1Y4
UK/ˈpəʊɪzi/US/ˈpoʊɪzi/

noun

A poem.

Similar
poetryverse
OriginMiddle English poesie ← Middle French poesie ← Late Latin poesia →
UncommonFirst used 14th c.Scrabble 10
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Meanings

nounpoesy (countable and uncountable, plural poesies)

plural poesies · alternative poesie · alternative poësy

  1. countableuncountableA poem.First known use 14th c.
  2. countableuncountableThe art or composition of poetry.
  3. archaiccountableuncountableThe class of literature comprising poems.First known use 14th c.

    I know not well how to excuse him, in that hee deemed his Poesie worthy to be published.

    1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 10, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC
    1 more example

    We know a poetical young gentleman—a very poetical young gentleman. We do not mean to say that he is troubled with the gift of poesy in any remarkable degree, but his countenance is of a plaintive and melancholy cast, his manner is abstracted and bespeaks affliction of soul:[…]

    1836, “Boz” [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], Sketches by “Boz,” Illustrative of Every-day Life, and Every-day People. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Macrone, […], →OCLC

    Synonyms: poetry, verse

verbpoesy (third-person singular simple present poesies, present participle poesying, simple past and past participle poesied)

present singular third person poesies · participle present poesying · participle past poesied · past poesied · alternative poesie · alternative poësy

  1. archaicintransitiveTo write or perform poetry.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe class of literature comprising poems.

Similar
poetryverse

More synonyms by meaning

nounliterature in metrical form

Similar
poetryverse
Broader
writing styleliterary genregenre
Also see
poetryverse

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekποίησις
  2. Late Latinpoesia
  3. Middle Frenchpoesie
  4. Middle Englishpoesie
  5. Englishpoesy

From Middle English poesie (Middle English po(esie) + -esy), from Middle French poesie, from Late Latin poesia, from earlier poēsis, from Ancient Greek ποίησις (poíēsis). Doublet of poiesis.

More words from Middle English, Middle French, Late Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

poseysepoy
Cite this entry
APA

poesy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/poesy

MLA

“poesy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/poesy. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “poesy,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/poesy.

Source: poesy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.