Ver"sal (?), a. Universal. [Obs. or Colloq.] Shak.
Ver"sant (?), a. [L. versans, p. pr. versare to turn abound frequently,
to turn over in the mind, to meditate. See Versatile.] Familiar;
conversant. [R.]
Men not versant with courts of justice.
Sydney Smith.
Ver"sant, n. [F.] The slope of a side of a mountain chain; hence, the
general slope of a country; aspect.
Ver"sa*tile (?), a. [L. versatilis, fr. versare to turn around, v.
freq. of vertere: cf. F. versatile. See Verse.] 1. Capable of being
turned round. Harte.
2. Liable to be turned in opinion; changeable; variable; unsteady;
inconstant; as versatile disposition.
3. Turning with ease from one thing to another; readily applied to a
new task, or to various subjects; many-sided; as, versatile genius; a
versatile politician.
Conspicuous among the youths of high promise . . . was the quick and
versatile [Charles] Montagu.
Macaulay.
4. (Nat. Hist.) Capable of turning; freely movable; as, a versatile
anther, which is fixed at one point to the filament, and hence is very
easily turned around; a versatile toe of a bird.
— Ver"sa*tile*ly, adv. — — Ver"sa*tile*ness, n.
Ver`sa*til"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. versatilité.] The quality or state of
being versatile; versatileness.
||Vers` de so`cié`té" (?). [F.] See Society verses, under Society.
||
Verse (?), n. [OE. vers, AS. fers, L. versus a line in writing, and, in
poetry, a verse, from vertere, versum, to turn, to turn round; akin to
E. worth to become: cf. F. vers. See Worth to become, and cf.
Advertise, Averse, Controversy, Convert, Divers, Invert, Obverse,
Prose, Suzerain, Vortex.] 1. A line consisting of a certain number of
metrical feet (see Foot, n., 9) disposed according to metrical rules.
Verses are of various kinds, as hexameter, pentameter, tetrameter,
etc., according to the number of feet in each. A verse of twelve
syllables is called an Alexandrine. Two or more verses form a stanza or
strophe.
2. Metrical arrangement and language; that which is composed in
metrical form; versification; poetry.
Such prompt eloquence Flowed from their lips in prose or numerous
verse.
Milton.
Virtue was taught in verse.
Prior.
Verse embalms virtue.
Donne.