Meaning & use
a posy
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Meanings
nouncountableold-fashionedliterary
A small bunch of flowers, often given as a gift or worn as decoration.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a posy, two posies, or posies in the plural.
Patterns
- a posy of something
- carry a posy
- give someone a posy
She carried a posy of white roses and tiny yellow daisies.
He gave his grandmother a posy picked from the garden.
The bridesmaids each held a small posy of spring flowers.
nouncountableold-fashioned
A small arrangement of flowers and leaves worn on clothing, especially at a wedding.
Grammar: Countable and usually used with a possessive: his posy, the bride's posy.
Patterns
- wear a posy
- a wedding posy
The groom wore a posy of rosemary and ivy on his jacket.
In the old photograph, every guest has a posy pinned to their coat.
Word forms
| plural | posies |
|---|
Common combinations
- a posy of flowers
- The child presented a posy of flowers to her teacher.
- carry a posy
- The bride chose to carry a posy instead of a long bouquet.
- a small posy
- A small posy sat in a glass on the windowsill.
- a wedding posy
- She kept her wedding posy pressed inside a book.
- pick a posy
- We stopped by the hedge to pick a posy for the table.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bouquet
- A bouquet is usually larger and more formal, often bought from a florist, while a posy is small and simple.
- bunch
- Bunch is the general everyday word for flowers held together; posy sounds more old-fashioned and pretty.
- nosegay
- Nosegay is an even older word for a small bunch of sweet-smelling flowers; it is rarer than posy.
Word family
- posey adjective
- Informal and spelled differently; it means showy or trying to look important, and is not related in meaning.
Commonly confused: a posy or posey? a posy or bouquet?
a posy vs posey
'Posey' (also spelled 'posy' by some writers) is an informal adjective meaning showy or affected, as in 'a posey outfit'. The flower word is normally spelled 'posy'.
a posy vs bouquet
A bouquet is a larger, often professionally arranged bunch of flowers; a posy is small and simple.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'posy' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A posy is a small bunch of flowers, so carrying one to someone fits. Option 1 is possible but 'bouquet' is the usual word for a large florist's arrangement, and options 3 and 4 use 'posy' with things that are not flowers at all.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a posy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.