poesy

[ poh-uh-see, -zee ]

/ ˈpoʊ ə si, -zi /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR poesy ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural po·e·sies.

the work or the art of poetic composition.

Archaic.

poetry in general.
verse or poetry in metrical form.

Obsolete.

a poem or verse used as a motto.Compare posy(def 2).
a poem.

Nearby words

poem, poems syndrome, poenology, poep, poepol, poesy, poet, poet laureate, poet., poetaster, poetess

Origin of poesy

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

Can be confused

poesy posey posy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for poesy

How difficult, then, to ascertain the truth respecting our poesy and music!
The Complete Works of Robert Burns: Containing his Poems, Songs, and Correspondence.|Robert Burns and Allan Cunningham
The first section, which alone concerns us here, is almost entirely based on the Defence of Poesy.
A History of Literary Criticism in the Renaissance|Joel Elias Spingarn
Francis I.'s good will did more for learned and classical literature than for poesy.
A Popular History of France From The Earliest Times|Francois Pierre Guillaume Guizot
Yet, in spite of all noble resolution, the voice of Poesy was sweet, and he could not shut his ears to it.
Robert Burns|Gabriel Setoun

The spirit of poesy is the morning light, which makes the statue of Memnon sound.
Dictionary of Quotations from Ancient and Modern, English and Foreign Sources|James Wood

British Dictionary definitions for poesy

poesy

/ (ˈpəʊɪzɪ) /

noun plural -sies

an archaic word for poetry

poetic the art of writing poetry

archaic, or poetic a poem or verse, esp one used as a motto

Word Origin for poesy

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012