envoi

en·voi

noun \ˈen-ˌvoi, ˈän-\

Definition of ENVOI

: the usually explanatory or commendatory concluding remarks to a poem, essay, or book; especially : a short final stanza of a ballad serving as a summary or dedication

Variants of ENVOI

en·voi or en·voy \ˈen-ˌvoi, ˈän-\

Origin of ENVOI

Middle English envoye, from Middle French envoi, literally, message, from Old French envei, from enveier to send on one's way, from Vulgar Latin *inviare, from Latin in- + via way — more at way

First Known Use: 14th century

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody