Adjacent Words

Epithet definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

EP'ITHET, n. [Gr. a name added; to place.] An adjective expressing some real quality of the thing to which it is applied, or an attributive expressing some quality ascribed to it; as a verdant lawn; a brilliant appearance; a just man; an accurate description.
It is sometimes used for title, name, phrase or expression; but improperly.
EP'ITHET v,t, To entitle; to describe by epithets.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a defamatory or abusive word or phrase [syn: name, epithet]
2: descriptive word or phrase

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Latin epitheton, from Greek, from neuter of epithetos added, from epitithenai to put on, add, from epi- + tithenai to put — more at do Date: 1579 1. a. a characterizing word or phrase accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a person or thing b. a disparaging or abusive word or phrase c. the part of a taxonomic name identifying a subordinate unit within a genus 2. obsolete expression • epithetic or epithetical adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 an adjective or other descriptive word expressing a quality or attribute, esp. used with or as a name. 2 such a word as a term of abuse. Derivatives: epithetic adj. epithetical adj. epithetically adv. Etymology: F épithète or L epitheton f. Gk epitheton f. epitithemi add (as EPI-, tithemi place)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Epithet Ep"i*thet, v. t. To describe by an epithet. [R.] Never was a town better epitheted. --Sir H. Wotton.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Epithet Ep"i*thet, n. [L. epitheton, Gr. ?, fr. ? added, fr. ? to add; 'epi` upon, to + ? to put, place: cf. F. ['e]pith[`e]te. See Do.] 1. An adjective expressing some quality, attribute, or relation, that is properly or specially appropriate to a person or thing; as, a just man; a verdant lawn. A prince [Henry III.] to whom the epithet ``worthless'' seems best applicable. --Hallam. 2. Term; expression; phrase. ``Stiffed with epithets of war.'' --Shak. Syn: Epithet, Title. Usage: The name epithet was formerly extended to nouns which give a title or describe character (as the ``epithet of liar''), but is now confined wholly to adjectives. Some rhetoricians, as Whately, restrict it still further, considering the term epithet as belonging only to a limited class of adjectives, viz., those which add nothing to the sense of their noun, but simply hold forth some quality necessarily implied therein; as, the bright sun, the lofty heavens, etc. But this restriction does not prevail in general literature. Epithet is sometimes confounded with application, which is always a noun or its equivalent.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(epithets) An epithet is an adjective or short phrase which is used as a way of criticizing or praising someone. (FORMAL) ...the religious issue which led to the epithet 'bible-basher'. N-COUNT: usu with supp

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Name, appellation, designation, title, qualifying word or term, descriptive term, predicate.

Moby Thesaurus

abuse, appellation, appellative, binomen, binomial name, blackguard, byword, call names, catchword, cognomen, cryptonym, curse, cuss, cuss out, cuss word, damn, denomination, designation, device, dirty name, dirty word, dysphemism, empty title, epigraph, epithetize, eponym, euonym, expletive, foul invective, handle, honorific, hyponym, inscription, label, moniker, motto, name, namesake, naughty word, no-no, nomen, nomen nudum, oath, obscenity, profane oath, proper name, proper noun, revile, scientific name, secret name, slogan, style, swear at, swearword, tag, tag line, tautonym, title, trinomen, trinomial name, vilify, vituperate, watchword