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Webster 1913 Edition


Epitome

E-pit′o-me

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Epitomes
(#)
.
[L., fr. Gr. [GREEK] a surface incision, also, and abridgment, fr. [GREEK] to cut into, cut short;
ἐπί
upon +
τέμνειν
to cut: cf. F.
épitome
. See
Tome
.]
1.
A work in which the contents of a former work are reduced within a smaller space by curtailment and condensation; a brief summary; an abridgement.
[An]
epitome
of the contents of a very large book.
Sydney Smith.
An
epitome
of English fashionable life.
Carlyle.
Syn. – Abridgement; compendium; compend; abstract; synopsis; abbreviature. See
Abridgment
.

Webster 1828 Edition


Epitome

EPIT'OME


Definition 2024


epitome

epitome

See also: epítome

English

Noun

epitome (plural epitomes or epitomai)

  1. (of a class of items) The embodiment or encapsulation of.
  2. (of a class of items) A representative example.
  3. (of a class of items) The height; the best.
  4. (of a written document) A brief summary.

(Can we add an example for this sense?)

Usage notes

The sense ‘the height, the best’ is considered incorrect by some; instead, 'pinnacle' may be preferred.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

External links

  • epitome in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • epitome in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

Italian

Noun

epitome f (plural epitomi)

  1. epitome

Latin

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἐπιτομή (epitomḗ), from ἐπιτέμνω (epitémnō), from ἐπί (epí) + τέμνω (témnō, to cut).

Pronunciation

Noun

epitomē f (genitive epitomēs); first declension

  1. epitome, abridgement

Inflection

First declension, Greek type.

Case Singular Plural
nominative epitomē epitomae
genitive epitomēs epitomārum
dative epitomae epitomīs
accusative epitomēn epitomās
ablative epitomē epitomīs
vocative epitomē epitomae

Descendants

References