epitaph
epitaph definition
epi·taph (ep′ə taf′, -täf′)
noun
- an inscription on a tomb or gravestone in memory of the person buried there
- a short composition in prose or verse, written as a tribute to a dead person, past event, etc.
Etymology: ME & OFr epitaphe < L epitaphium, eulogy < Gr epitaphion < epi, upon, at + taphos, tomb < thaptein, to bury
Related Forms:
- epitaphic ep′i·taph′ic adjective or epitaphial ep′i·taph′·ial
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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