| epic | (adj) very imposing or impressive; surpassing the ordinary (especially in size or scale), Syn. heroic, larger-than-life, Example: an epic voyage; of heroic proportions; heroic sculpture | | epic | (adj) constituting or having to do with or suggestive of a literary epic, Syn. epical, Example: epic tradition | | epicalyx | (n) a group of bracts simulating a calyx as in a carnation or hibiscus, Syn. calyculus, calycle, false calyx | | epicanthus | (n) a vertical fold of skin over the nasal canthus; normal for Mongolian peoples; sometimes occurs in Down's syndrome, Syn. epicanthic fold | | epicardia | (n) the short part of the esophagus extending downward from the diaphragm to the stomach | | epicardium | (n) the innermost of the two layers of the pericardium, Syn. visceral pericardium | | epicarp | (n) outermost layer of the pericarp of fruits as the skin of a peach or grape, Syn. exocarp | | epicarpal | (adj) of or relating to the epicarp | | epicenter | (n) the point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake, Syn. epicentre | | epicondyle | (n) a projection on a bone above a condyle serving for the attachment of muscles and ligaments |
|
| Epi- | ‖ [ Gr. 'epi` on, upon, to; akin to Skr. api besides, and prob. to L. ob to, before, on account of, and perh. to E. of, off. ] A prefix, meaning upon, beside, among, on the outside, above, over. It becomes ep-before a vowel, as in epoch, and eph-before a Greek aspirate, as in ephemeral. [ 1913 Webster ] | | Epiblast | n. [ Pref. epi- + -blast. ] (Biol.) The outer layer of the blastoderm; the ectoderm. See Blastoderm, Delamination. [ 1913 Webster ] | | Epiblastic | a. (Biol.) Of or relating to, or consisting of, the epiblast. [ 1913 Webster ] | | Epiblema | ‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_; a cover; &unr_; over + &unr_; to throw. ] (Bot.) The epidermal cells of rootlets, specially adapted to absorb liquids. Goodale. [ 1913 Webster ] | | Epibolic | a. [ Gr. &unr_; to throw upon, add to; 'epi` upon + &unr_; to throw. ] (Biol.) Growing or covering over; -- said of a kind of invagination. See under Invagination. [ 1913 Webster ] | | Epiboly | n. [ Cf. Gr. &unr_; a throwing upon. ] (Biol.) Epibolic invagination. See under Invagination. [ 1913 Webster ] | | Epibranchial | a. [ Pref. epi- + branchial. ] (Anat.) Pertaining to the segment between the ceratobranchial and pharyngobranchial in a branchial arch. -- n. An epibranchial cartilage or bone. [ 1913 Webster ] | | Epic | n. An epic or heroic poem. See Epic, a. [ 1913 Webster ] | | Epic | a. [ L. epicus, Gr. &unr_;, from &unr_; a word, speech, tale, song; akin to L. vox voice: cf. F. épique. See Voice. ] Narrated in a grand style; pertaining to or designating a kind of narrative poem, usually called an heroic poem, in which real or fictitious events, usually the achievements of some hero, are narrated in an elevated style. [ 1913 Webster ] The epic poem treats of one great, complex action, in a grand style and with fullness of detail. T. Arnold. [ 1913 Webster ] | | Epical | a. Epic. -- Ep"ic*al*ly, adv. [1913 Webster] Poems which have an epical character. Brande & C. [1913 Webster] His [Wordsworth's] longer poems (miscalled epical). Lowell. [1913 Webster] |
|
