verse n.
the universe; (also) one of many universes in a multiverse; cf. earlier -verse suffix
Often as ’verse.
Dimensions
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[1991 Quantum Leaps of Imagination in Newsday (New York) 27 Aug. 62/1
According to theory, a baby universe—or ‘babyverse’—can be spun off from the parent ‘multiverse’ as a bulge in the fabric of spacetime.]
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2002 War Stories (Firefly episode) 6 Dec. (transcription)
Joss Whedon
No power in the ’verse can stop me.
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2002 Serenity (Firefly episode) 20 Dec. (transcription)
Joss Whedon
Kaylee It’s shiny! I like to meet new people. They’ve all got stories— Jayne Captain, can you stop her from being cheerful, please? Mal I don’t believe there is a power in the ’verse that can stop Kaylee from being cheerful.
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2004 on LiveJournal 24 June (blog entry)
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OK so last night I had another one of those early night dreams [...] we were out in this field and the other guy and i had this power where we could see this alternate universe that was like a layer of our own, much darker and we could occasionally switch between both but when we were in the alternate verse, we couldnt see the real world[...]
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2007 Selling Out viii. 86
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Justina Robson
bibliography
The realm of the dead. They say it’s parted from us in temporal dimensions only, that it is panspatial and pantemporal, a dimensional ’verse transecting all points in which beings like us cannot move, though there are beings that can.
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2009 Singers of Rhodes in Panverse One 230
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Jason K. Chapman
bibliography
Davey’s laugh dragged itself across a bed of gravel. ‘The word’s been heard, varritch. There ain’t no roads but roads to Rhodes. Don't leave this ’verse without you’ve seen it for yourself.’ Rhodes was an ugly thing, but it was the wonder of the universe. The first evidence of non-human intelligence was hard to resist.
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2015 Illuminae 84
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Jay Kristoff
Amie Kaufman
bibliography
You flex your tiniest gun turret, look like you’re even reaching to scratch an itch, I’m going to raise so much noise the Lincoln and every ally she has in the ’verse will know where to find you.
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2017 Everything Everywhere All at Once (script) (12/18/2017 draft) 86
You’re close, but no pineapple. (catching herself) I’m sorry. It’s hard to keep track of which idioms come from which verses.
Research requirements
antedating 2002
Earliest cite
Joss Whedon, <i>Firefly</i>
Research History
Suggested, and most quotes submitted, by Bee Ostrowsky.
Last modified 2023-06-20 10:25:38
In the compilation of some
entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries
in OED.