epitome

From Middle French, from Latin epitomē, from Ancient Greek ἐπιτομή (epitomḗ, “an abridgment, also a surface-incision”), from ἐπιτέμνω (epitémnō, “I cut upon the surface, cut short, abridge”), from ἐπι- (epi-, “up”) +‎ τέμνω (témnō, “to cut”).

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /əˈpɪt.ə.mi/, /ɪˈpɪt.ə.mi/

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epitome (plural epitomes or epitomai)

1. The embodiment or encapsulation of a class of items.

   Synonyms: exemplar, model, type; see also Thesaurus:exemplar, Thesaurus:model

   • c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act V, scene v], page 27:

     This is a poore Epitome of yours, / Which by th'interpretation of full time, / May ſhew like all your ſelfe.

   • 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, OCLC 1167497017:

     But first I took up Ayesha's kirtle and the gauzy scarf with which she had been wont to hide her dazzling loveliness from the eyes of men, and, averting my head so that I might not look upon it, covered up that dreadful relic of the glorious dead, that shocking epitome of human beauty and human life.

2. A representative example.

   Synonyms: quintessential, poster child; see also Thesaurus:exemplar

   • 1988, “Don't Believe the Hype”, in It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, performed by Public Enemy:

     The minute they see me, fear me / I'm the epitome of "public enemy"

3. The height; the best; the most vivid.

   Synonyms: acme, greatest

   • 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Romance and Reality. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], OCLC 24531354, page 240:

     He looks the very epitome of fright: I do not think he could eat one of those apples, if it were given him.

4. A brief summary of a text.

   Synonyms: abstract, synopsis

   (Can we add an example for this sense?)

The sense “the height, the best” is considered incorrect by some; instead, pinnacle may be preferred.

• antithesis

• epitomator
• epitomist
• epitomizer

• epitome on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• epitome in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• epitome in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911

epitome f (plural epitomi)

1. epitome

• epitoma

From Ancient Greek ἐπιτομή (epitomḗ), from ἐπιτέμνω (epitémnō), from ἐπί (epí) + τέμνω (témnō, “to cut”).

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /eˈpi.to.meː/, [ɛˈpɪt̪ɔmeː]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /eˈpi.to.me/, [eˈpiːt̪ome]

epitomē f (genitive epitomēs); first declension

1. epitome, abridgement, synopsis

First-declension noun (Greek-type).

• Catalan: epítom
• English: epitome
• Galician: epítome
• Portuguese: epítome
• Spanish: epítome

• “epitome”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “epitome”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• epitome in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
• “epitome”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• epitome in Ramminger, Johann (accessed 16 July 2016) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎, pre-publication website, 2005-2016

epitome

1. inflection of epitomar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative