epithet

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Literature Academic · Technical

n. a repeated phrase in old poems used to describe a character or object.

n. a formulaic word or phrase used in epic poetry to characterize a person, group, or thing.

“In the Odyssey, Homer often uses the epithet 'wine-dark' to describe the sea.”

“The use of fixed epithets in oral tradition served as a mnemonic device for the poet while maintaining the dactylic hexameter of the epic.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Science Technical

n. the second part of a scientific name for a plant or animal.

n. the specific name or term in a taxonomic designation that follows the genus name.

“In the name 'Quercus alba', the word 'alba' is the specific epithet.”

“The botanical epithet usually describes a physical trait, such as color or leaf shape, or refers to the geographical origin of the species.”

C2 · Proficiency Formal · Literary

v. to give someone or something a descriptive name or title.

v. to characterize or refer to by a specific term or descriptive phrase.

“Critics epitheted the new building as a 'monstrosity' shortly after it opened.”

“The biographer epitheted the subject as a visionary, though contemporary accounts were far less generous in their assessment.”