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posy

 - 4 dictionary results

po⋅sy

  [poh-zee]
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–noun, plural -sies.
1. a flower, nosegay, or bouquet.
2. Archaic. a brief motto or the like, as one inscribed within a ring.
Origin:
1400–50; late ME; syncopated var. of poesy
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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po·sy   (pō'zē)   
n.   pl. po·sies

  1. A flower or bunch of flowers; a bouquet.

  2. Archaic A brief verse or sentimental phrase, especially one inscribed on a trinket.


[Alteration of poesy, motto or line of verse (archaic).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

posy 
1533, "line of verse engraved on the inner surface of a ring," from poesy (q.v.), recorded in this sense from c.1430. Meaning "flower, bouquet" first recorded 1573, from notion of the language of flowers.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

posy

small, hand-held bouquet popular in mid- 19th-century Victorian England as an accessory carried by fashionable ladies. Composed of mixed flowers and herbs and edged with a paper frill or greens, the arrangement was sometimes inserted into a silver filigree holder. When supplied by an admirer, a nosegay became a vehicle for the floral "language of love"-e.g., a red tulip was a declaration of love; a sprig of dogwood returned by the young lady was a sign of indifference; a variegated pink meant that she rejected her suitor's affection. This variety of bouquet has enjoyed periodic revivals.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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