posy

Shortening of poesy. The meaning 'motto inscribed inside a ring' is first attested in the early 15th century; the meaning 'flower, bouquet' from the 1570s.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpəʊzi/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈpoʊzi/
• Rhymes: -əʊzi

posy (plural posies)

1. A flower; a bouquet; a nosegay.
   • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 1, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:

     'Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard—peonies and such—in full bloom, the sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal showed.

2. A verse of poetry, especially a motto or an inscription on a ring.
   • 1602, William Shakespeare, Hamlet, act III scene 2

     Is this a prologue or the posy of a ring?

• nosegay
• corsage
• bouquet

• -opsy, Pyos, YOPs, poys, yops