Epithet

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɛp.ɪˌθɛt/

Definitions

1. A descriptive word or phrase that characterizes or names someone or something, often expressing a quality or attribute
2. A descriptive expression that highlights a specific characteristic or quality of an individual or object, often serving to classify or provide insight
3. A term or phrase used to describe an individual or object, often reflecting an inherent trait or quality that serves to identify or classify them

Etymology: The Greek word "epitheton" was built from three simple pieces: "epi-" meaning "in addition" or "on top of", and "tithēmi", "to put", so the literal sense was something put on top of a name. Its adjective form "epithetos" meant "additional," and by the time Greek writers used it of descriptive words, an epithet was a phrase laid over a person's real name to characterise them, as in Homer's "rosy-fingered" dawn. The word passed into Latin as "epitheton," then reached English through Middle French "épithète." Its earliest sense in English kept that idea of an added descriptive term, and it still carries the sense of an attached label, which is why a nickname like "the Conqueror" or "the Great" fits the word so well.

Synonyms: nickname, title, label