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envoi

noun en·voi \ ˈen-ˌvoi , ˈän- \

variants: or envoy

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

Origin and Etymology 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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Literature Terms

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

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about envoi

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