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.
any of various similar forms
Word origin
C14: from Old French virelai, probably from vireli (associated with lailay4), meaningless word used as a refrain
virelay in American English
(ˈvɪrəˌleɪ)
noun
any of various French verse forms, popular in the 14th and 15th cent., with only two rhymes per stanza, and a refrain
: also ˈvireˌlai (ˈvɪrəˌleɪ; French vɪʀˈleɪ)
Word origin
ME vyrelaye < MFr virelai, prob. altered by assoc. with lai (see lay4) < OFr virli, vireli, jingle used as the refrain of a song