Epithet

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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.


        [1913 Webster]
  
              A prince [Henry III.] to whom the epithet
              "worthless" seems best applicable.    --Hallam.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Term; expression; phrase. "Stuffed 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.
            [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Epithet \Ep"i*thet\, v. t.
     To describe by an epithet. [R.]
     [1913 Webster]
  
           Never was a town better epitheted.       --Sir H.
                                                    Wotton.
     Epithetic

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  epithet
       n 1: a defamatory or abusive word or phrase; "sticks and stones
            may break my bones but names can never hurt me" [syn: {name}]
       2: descriptive word or phrase

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  63 Moby Thesaurus words for "epithet":
     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