Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "acrostic" ita ce waƙa, da wuyar warwarewa, ko wani abu dabam wanda wasu haruffa a cikin kowane layi ko kalma ke samar da kalma ko sako idan an karanta su a jere. A cikin acrostic, harafin farko na kowane layi, alal misali, ana iya shirya shi a tsaye don fitar da kalma ko jumla. Ana iya amfani da acrostics don ƙirƙirar rubuce-rubuce, don isar da saƙon sirri, ko azaman kayan aikin koyarwa don rubutawa da ƙamus.