Acrostic: meaning, definitions and examples

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acrostic

 

[ ษ™หˆkrษ’stษชk ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

poetry

A poem or other form of writing in which the first letter of each line spells out a word, message, or the alphabet.

Synonyms

acrostical verse, letter puzzle, puzzle poem.

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Word Description / Examples
acrostic

Similar to the first 'acrostic,' this also relates to a type of poem or word puzzle but may be used more broadly in various forms of puzzles or coded messages.

  • The magazine had an entire section dedicated to acrostics and other word games.
  • Solving the acrostic revealed a hidden quote from the famous author.
puzzle poem

This phrase is typically used to describe a poem that functions as a puzzle, where the reader needs to decipher it in some way. It can be used in both educational and casual settings.

  • Her latest creation is a puzzle poem that challenges readers to find the hidden theme.
  • During the writing workshop, they explored the idea of composing puzzle poems.
letter puzzle

This term is more casual and generally refers to any puzzle involving letters, which could include but is not limited to acrostics. It is commonly used in everyday conversation and children's entertainment.

  • The young boy enjoyed solving letter puzzles in his activity book.
  • They spent the afternoon working on a letter puzzle together.
acrostical verse

This phrase is more specific and formal, usually referring to a verse that follows the acrostic style. It is mainly used in literary discussions or detailed analysis of poetry.

  • The poet's collection contains several acrostical verses that reveal profound messages.
  • In his critique, he highlighted the complexity of the acrostical verse in the anthology.

Examples of usage

  • Her acrostic poem spelled out the name of her best friend.
  • The acrostic she created for the competition was both clever and meaningful.

Translations

Translations of the word "acrostic" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น acrรณstico

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เค…เค•เฅเคฐเฅ‰เคธเฅเคŸเคฟเค•

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Akrostichon

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ akrostik

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ะฐะบั€ะพะฒั–ั€ัˆ

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ akrostych

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ้ ญๅญ—่ฉฉ (ใจใ†ใ˜ใ—, tลjishi)

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท acrostiche

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ acrรณstico

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท akrostiลŸ

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ๋‘์šด์‹œ (duunsi)

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ู…ููˆุดูŽู‘ุญูŒ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ akrostich

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ akrostich

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ่—้ ญ่ฉฉ (cรกngtรณushฤซ)

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ akrostih

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ acrostic

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ะฐะบั€ะพัั‚ะธั…

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒแƒ™แƒ แƒแƒกแƒขแƒ˜แƒฅแƒ˜

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ akrostiลŸ

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ acrรณstico

Etymology

The word 'acrostic' originated from the French word 'acrostiche', which in turn came from the Greek word 'akrostikhis'. The use of acrostics dates back to ancient times, with examples found in Hebrew poetry and the works of classical writers. Acrostics have been used in various cultures and languages as a form of poetic expression and creative writing.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #32,994 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.