Definition of Epithet
Epithet
ep·i·thet
Definition/Meaning
(noun)
a descriptive phrase that expresses a characteristic of the person or thing being talked about;
e.g. Because of his great height, he had earned the epithet "Daddy Long Legs".
(noun)
a disparaging word or phrase that is used as a term of abuse;
e.g. The angry mob jeered disparaging epithets.
(noun)
a word or phrase that is firmly associated with a person, place, or thing, and is used more frequently than the actual name of it;
e.g. New York City has been given the epithet "The Big Apple" which people recognize more easily now.
(noun)
in taxonomy, it is the name that identifies a subordinate unit within a genus;
e.g. An example of an epithet in taxonomy is the term 'coli' from Escherichia coli.
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