What is it called when you define a word using each letter of that word

Question

What is it called when you define/describe a word by taking the letters of that word & making phrases/ descriptions in sequential order, such as CAN:

Capable,

Able,

Now available to do?

This is not the same as a simple acronym for example USA United States of America.

Answer 1

It's basically a kind of acrostic.

If you looked up acronym, as Mark suggested, you may notice that what you're describing is actually the opposite of that, since you're starting with a word and creating a phrase whose first letters make up the word. For that reason, it's sometimes called a "backronym," but that's still mostly considered a slangy / playful term.

Answer 2

Are you maybe Thinking about a mnemonic. This is actually a pattern of letters, ideas, or associations that assists in remembering something. For example, ROY G BIV would be the colors of the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.