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Epiphany definition

Epiph·any (ē pif′ə nē, i-)

noun pl. Epiphanies -·nies

  1. an appearance or manifestation of a god or other supernatural being
  2. in many Christian churches, a yearly festival, held January 6, commemorating both the revealing of Jesus as the Christ to the Gentiles in the persons of the Magi and the baptism of Jesus
    also called Twelfth Day
    1. a moment of sudden intuitive understanding; flash of insight
    2. a scene, experience, etc. that occasions such a moment

Etymology: ME & OFr epiphanie < LL(Ec) epiphania < Gr(Ec) epiphaneia, appearance < epiphainein, to show forth, manifest < epi-, upon + phainein, to show: see fantasy

Related Forms:

  • epiphanic ep′i·phan′ic (ep′ə fan′ik) adjective

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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