vir·e·lay or vir·e·lai (vîr  -l  )n. pl. vir·e·lays or vir·e·lais Any of several medieval French verse and song forms, especially one in which each stanza has two rhymes, the end rhyme recurring as the first rhyme of the following stanza. [Middle English virelai, from Old French, alteration (influenced by lai, lay) of vireli, song refrain.] |
virelay [ˈvɪrɪˌleɪ]
n
1. (Literature / Poetry) an old French verse form, rarely used in English, consisting of short lines arranged in stanzas having only two rhymes, and two opening lines recurring at intervals
2. (Literature / Poetry) any of various similar forms
[from Old French virelai, probably from vireli (associated with lai lay4), meaningless word used as a refrain]
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