acrostic

noun

acros·​tic ə-ˈkrȯ-stik 

-ˈkrä-

1

: a composition usually in verse in which sets of letters (such as the initial or final letters of the lines) taken in order form a word or phrase or a regular sequence of letters of the alphabet

2

: acronym

acrostic adjective

or less commonly acrostical

ə-ˈkrȯ-sti-kəl 

-ˈkrä-

acrostically

ə-ˈkrȯ-sti-k(ə-)lē 

-ˈkrä-

adverb

Examples of acrostic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Each land contains a group of puzzles that range from crosswords and acrostics to cryptograms and engineering problems. — Andrew Hetherington, Popular Mechanics, 12 Mar. 2020

All in all, every enjoyable aspect of solving an acrostic is well represented. — Caitlin Lovinger, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2020

An acrostic is typically a literary technique in which the first letters of the lines of a poem spell out a message. — BostonGlobe.com, 6 Nov. 2019

The new acrostic is one of many scattered throughout Milton’s text. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, 19 Sep. 2019

Drew, a twentysomething educator living in Florida, did just that, charming his matches with poems that were also acrostics spelling out such Tinder-favorite pickup lines as SEND NUDES and WANNA SMASH. — Casey Newton, The Verge, 11 Aug. 2018

Some contained complicated puzzles, acrostics, and rebuses (pictures that represent words or parts of words). — Marilyn Yalom, Time, 14 Feb. 2018

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Greek; Middle French acrostiche, borrowed from Greek akrostichís, from akro- acro- + -stichis, derivative of stíchos "line, row, rank," ablaut derivative of steíchein "to go in order, walk, march" — more at stair

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for acrostic

• agnostic
• encaustic
• prognostic
• caustic
• gnostic
• diagnostic

Kids Definition

acrostic

noun

acros·​tic ə-ˈkrȯs-tik 

-ˈkräs-

: a poem in which a set of letters (as the first letter of the lines) taken in order form a word or phrase