epitome

From Middle French, from Latin epitomē, from Ancient Greek ἐπιτομή (epitomḗ, “an abridgment, also a surface-incision”), from ἐπιτέμνω (epitémnō, “I cut upon the surface, cut short, abridge”), from ἐπι- (epi-, “up”) +‎ τέμνω (témnō, “to cut”).

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /əˈpɪt.ə.mi/, /ɪˈpɪt.ə.mi/

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epitome (plural epitomes or epitomai)

1. The embodiment or encapsulation of a class of items.

   Synonyms: exemplar, model, type; see also Thesaurus:exemplar, Thesaurus:model

   • c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v], page 27:

     This is a poore Epitome of yours, / Which by th'interpretation of full time, / May ſhew like all your ſelfe.

   • 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:

     But first I took up Ayesha's kirtle and the gauzy scarf with which she had been wont to hide her dazzling loveliness from the eyes of men, and, averting my head so that I might not look upon it, covered up that dreadful relic of the glorious dead, that shocking epitome of human beauty and human life.

2. A representative example.

   Synonyms: quintessential, poster child; see also Thesaurus:exemplar

   • 1988, “Don't Believe the Hype”, in It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, performed by Public Enemy:

     The minute they see me, fear me / I'm the epitome of "public enemy"

3. The height; the best; the most vivid.

   Synonyms: acme, greatest

   • 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XVI, in Romance and Reality. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 240:

     He looks the very epitome of fright: I do not think he could eat one of those apples, if it were given him.

4. A brief summary of a text.

   Synonyms: abstract, synopsis

   • 1611, Thomas Coryate, Coryat's Crudities hastily gobbled up in Five Months Travels in France, Italy, &c:

     Having now so amply declared unto thee most of the principal things of this thrice-renowned and illustrious city, I will briefly by way of an epitome mention most of the other particulars thereof, and so finally shut up this narration: there are reported to be in Venice and the circumjacent islands two hundred churches in which are one hundred forth-three pairs of organs, fifty-four monasteries, twenty-six nunneries, fifty-six tribunals or places of judgment, seventeen hospitals, six companies or fraternities, whereof I have before spoken; one hundred and sixty-five marble statues of worthy personages, partly equestrial, partly pedestrial, which are erected in sundry places of the city, to the honour of those that either at home have prudently administered the commonweal, or abroad valiantly fought for the same.

The sense “the height, the best” is considered incorrect by some; instead, pinnacle may be preferred.

• antithesis

• epitomator
• epitomist
• epitomizer

• epitome on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “epitome”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “epitome”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

epitome f (plural epitomi)

1. epitome

• epitoma

From Ancient Greek ἐπιτομή (epitomḗ), from ἐπιτέμνω (epitémnō), from ἐπί (epí) + τέμνω (témnō, “to cut”).

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /eˈpi.to.meː/, [ɛˈpɪt̪ɔmeː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /eˈpi.to.me/, [eˈpiːt̪ome]

epitomē f (genitive epitomēs); first declension

1. epitome, abridgement, synopsis

First-declension noun (Greek-type).

• Catalan: epítom
• English: epitome
• Galician: epítome
• Portuguese: epítome
• Spanish: epítome

• “epitome”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “epitome”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• epitome in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “epitome”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• epitome in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎, pre-publication website, 2005-2016

Borrowed from Italian epitome.

• IPA^(key): /ɛ.pɪˈtɔː.mɛ/

epitome f (plural epitomi)

1. epitome

epitome

1. inflection of epitomar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative