To compose or recite an elegy; to write mournfully or sorrowfully about something, especially someone's death (British spelling).
From elegy (Greek elegeia) plus the verb-forming suffix -ise (British) or -ize (American). This suffix converts nouns into verbs meaning 'to make' or 'to engage in the practice of.'
British English uses -ise while American English uses -ize, and this divide goes back to the Renaissance when scholars disagreed about Latin verb forms—it's basically a 500-year-old spelling argument that never got resolved!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.