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epigram (n.)
also epigramme, "short poem or verse which has only one subject and finishes by a witty or ingenious turn of thought," mid-15c., from Old French épigramme, from Latin epigramma "an inscription," from Greek epigramma "inscription (especially in verse) on a tomb, public monument, etc.; a written estimate," from epigraphein "to write on, inscribe" (see epigraph). "The term was afterward extended to any little piece of verse expressing with precision a delicate or ingenious thought" [Century Dictionary]. Related: Epigrammatist.
updated on June 13, 2019
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Dictionary entries near epigram
epididymis
epidural
epigastrium
epiglottis
epigone
epigram
epigrammatic
epigraph
epilepsy
epileptic
epilogue