epithet
English
Etymology
From Latin, from Ancient Greek ἐπίθετον (epitheton, “adjective”), the neuter of ἐπίθετος (epithetos, “attributed, added”), from ἐπιτιθέναι (epitithenai, “to add on”), from ἐπι- (epi-) + τιθέναι (tithenai, “to put”) (from Proto-Indo-European *dhe- (“to put, to do”)).
Pronunciation
Noun
epithet (plural epithets)
- A term used to characterize a person or thing.
- A term used as a descriptive substitute for the name or title of a person.
- An abusive or contemptuous word or phrase.
- 2006, Eric L. Goldstein, The Price of Whiteness: Jews, Race, and American Identity:
- Part of this process was the elaboration of new terms for the Jew, especially the increasingly popular epithet “kike”.
- 2006, Eric L. Goldstein, The Price of Whiteness: Jews, Race, and American Identity:
- (biology) A word in the scientific name of a taxon following the name of the genus or species. This applies only to formal names of plants, fungi and bacteria. In formal names of animals the corresponding term is the specific name.
Synonyms
- (descriptive substitute): cognomen
Translations
term used to characterize a person or thing
term used as a descriptive substitute for the name or title of a person
abusive or contemptuous word or phrase
word in the scientific name of a taxon following the name of the genus or species
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