I. ˈepəˌthe]t also -pē- or -pi- or -_thə̇]; usu ]d.+V noun
( -s )
Etymology: Latin epitheton, from Greek, from neuter of epithetos added, from epitithenai
1.
a. also epith·e·ton ə̇ˈpithəˌtän, eˈ-\ : a characterizing word or phrase
epithets applied to gorillas by psychologists …: cautious, conservative, not skillful mechanically or manually — A.L.Kroeber
the epithet of “the most unsordid act in history” — Economist
as
(1) : such a word or phrase joined often by fixed association to the name of a person or thing
identified more familiarly by his epithet as Richard Lionheart than by his number as Richard the First
such stock ornamental epithets in Homer as “wine-dark” that regularly precedes “sea”
(2) : such a word or phrase used as a name for a person or thing
uses the epithet “the Eternal” instead of the usual title “the Lord”
b. : a disparaging or abusive word or phrase
his sneering tone made “professor” an epithet
hurled the epithets “slave-labor law” and “un-American” at the proposed bill
c. : the part of a scientific name identifying the species, variety, or other subunit within a genus
in the scientific name Rosa chinensis longifolia, chinensis is the specific epithet and longifolia is the varietal epithet
2. obsolete : expression
suffer love! a good epithet … for I love thee against my will — Shakespeare
3. : the use of epithets ; especially : name-calling
loud denunciation, epithet , and abuse — A.E.Stevenson †1965
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to describe with an epithet
“woeful woman”, as he epitheted her
whose appearance she epitheted “untimely”