EPITHET

Epithet

An epithet or byname is a descriptive term accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It can be described as a glorified nickname. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, divinities, objects, and binomial nomenclature. It can also be a descriptive title: for example, Alexander the Great or Suleiman the Magnificent.

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epithet

Noun

  1. A term used to characterize a person or thing.
  2. A term used as a descriptive substitute for the name or title of a person.
  3. An abusive or contemptuous word or phrase.
  4. A word in the scientific name of a taxon following the name of the genus or species. This applies only to formal names of plants, fungi and bacteria. In formal names of animals the corresponding term is the specific name.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: epithet
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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