Posies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A cluster of flowers, usually of a single variety, that is often presented as a token of love or admiration
2. A bunch of colorful blooms, typically hand-held, that conveys sentiment or celebration
3. A small group of flowers gathered together to give as a gift or decoration

Etymology: Posies are the plural of "posy", a small bunch of flowers, and the singular is itself a shortened form of "poesy", the old word for poetry. The link runs through verse: "poesy" once meant poetry in general, and a posy was the short motto or line of verse inscribed on the inside of a ring, often a few words of sentiment exchanged between lovers. Because those inscriptions were tiny, the word came to name anything small and carefully arranged, and by the early modern period it was being applied to a nosegay of flowers. The shift from words to blossoms explains why the word still carries a whiff of old-fashioned romance. A flower posy and a ring posy share the idea of something compact that says a great deal in a small space, so the change of meaning was less a leap than a narrowing of focus, from rhyme to petals.

Synonyms: bouquets, flowers, blossoms, blooms, arrangements