noun
also vir·e·lai ˈvirəˌlā
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French virelai, alteration (influenced by lai lay) of Old French vireli, probably from the meaningless refrain vireli
1.
a. : an old French verse form having a refrain and composed wholly in two rhymes
b. : a verse form composed of stanzas indeterminate in length and number but usually repeating one of the two rhymes of the first stanza in the second, the new rhyme of the second stanza in the third, until the last stanza where the unrepeated rhyme of the first stanza takes the place of a new rhyme — compare villanelle
2. : an old song or poem especially with a refrain or an intricate or monotonous rhyme scheme