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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. An inscription on a tombstone in memory of the one buried there.
  2. n. A brief literary piece commemorating a deceased person.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. An inscription on a tomb or monument in honor or memory of the dead.
  2. n. A brief enunciation or sentiment relating to a deceased person, in prose or verse, composed as if to be inscribed on a monument.
  3. n. One of the most pleasing epitaphs in general literature is that by Pope on Gay:
  4. To commemorate in an epitaph.
  5. To make epitaphs; use the epitaphic style.

Wiktionary

  1. n. An inscription on a gravestone in memory of the deceased.
  2. n. A poem or other short text written in memory of a deceased person.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. An inscription on, or at, a tomb, or a grave, in memory or commendation of the one buried there; a sepulchral inscription.
  2. n. A brief writing formed as if to be inscribed on a monument, as that concerning Alexander: “Sufficit huic tumulus, cui non sufficeret orbis.”
  3. v. To commemorate by an epitaph.
  4. v. To write or speak after the manner of an epitaph.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. a summary statement of commemoration for a dead person
  2. n. an inscription on a tombstone or monument in memory of the person buried there

Etymologies

  1. Middle English, from Old French epitaphe, from Latin epitaphium, from Greek epitaphion, from neuter of epitaphios, funerary : epi-, epi- + taphos, tomb.

Examples

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Lists

These user-created lists contain the word ‘epitaph’.

Comments

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  • oroboros Epitaph for a dentist: Don't intrude on the Good Dentist, he's busy filling a cavity. Sep 10, 2010

  • Prolagus

    I wish that you were here with me to pass the dull weekend
    I know it wouldn't come to love, my heroine pretend
    A lady stepping from the songs we love until this day
    You'd settle for an epitaph like "Walk Away, Renee"
    The sun upon the roof in winter will draw you out like a flower
    Meet you at the statue in an hour.

    (Piazza, New York catcher, by Belle and Sebastian) Mar 7, 2010

  • chained_bear *raises glass* Mar 20, 2009

  • reesetee A toast to good, brave doggies everywhere. :-)

    *raises glass* Mar 20, 2009

  • chained_bear It is a very good article indeed. Rather surprisingly, at least to me, it did not make me cry. (Perhaps because I recently went through a similar situation.)

    I remember the vet telling us, the first time she was diagnosed, he wouldn't give us a range of how long he thought she'd live. I persisted, "Well, a month? A year? Somewhere in between?" He said, "Maybe a year. I can tell you whatever number you want, but I can promise you only one thing: Whatever I say, she'll make a liar out of me."

    She did. She lived for two more years. :) Mar 20, 2009

  • lea Bloody hell! Thank you, seanahan, for making me cry. :o} I've done laugh-related crying lately with animals more or less, but that story was really a trigger. Boo hoo. Mar 20, 2009

  • frindley Oh seanahan, that article nearly made me cry. Mar 20, 2009

  • frindley See dyer. Mar 20, 2009

  • seanahan The saddest article I've ever read is this article about a Sports columnist's recently deceased dog. For those who aren't into sports, this article transcends sports writing. Mar 5, 2009

  • lea Good idea, Treeseed. I'll do that. -- However, my own personal choice in case of possible death would be: "Screw you guys, I'm going home!" Mar 3, 2009

  • treeseed Epitaph to a Dog is a poem by the English poet Lord Byron. It was written in 1808 in honor of his Newfoundland dog, Boatswain, who had just died of rabies. Check it out..it's beautiful. Feb 3, 2008

‘epitaph’ has been looked up 2822 times, loved by 8 people, added to 52 lists, commented on 11 times, and has a Scrabble score of 14.