ep ‧ i ‧ taph /ˈepətɑːf, ˈepɪtɑːf $ -tæf/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: French ; Origin: épitaphe , from Greek epitaphion , from epi- ( ↑ epicenter ) + taphos 'tomb, funeral' ]
a short piece of writing on the stone over someone’s ↑ grave (=place in the ground where someone is buried)