verse
n. C / Un. a group of lines in a song or poem. In music, it is the part where the story moves forward before the chorus starts again.
n. a distinct section of a poem or song, typically consisting of a series of lines with a specific rhythm or rhyme scheme. In contemporary music, it refers to the narrative sections that alternate with the refrain.
I can never remember the words to the second verse.
The singer forgot the lyrics during the first verse but recovered by the time the chorus began.
While the chorus provides the song's emotional hook, each verse adds necessary narrative detail that deepens the listener's understanding of the protagonist's journey.
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”).
Back-formation from versus, misconstrued as a third-person singular verb verses.
Countable when referring to specific sections of a song or poem; uncountable when referring to poetry as a general form of writing.