epigram
witticism, quip; ingenious saying tersely expressed
Not to be confused with:epigraph – an inscription on a building or statue; quotation at the beginning of a book or chapter
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
ep·i·gram
(ĕp′ĭ-grăm′)n.1. A short, witty poem expressing a single thought or observation.
2. A concise, clever, often paradoxical statement.
3. Epigrammatic discourse or expression.
[Middle English, from Old French
epigramme, from Latin
epigramma, from Greek, from
epigraphein,
to mark the surface, inscribe :
epi-,
epi- +
graphein,
to write; see
gerbh- in
Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
epigram
(ˈɛpɪˌɡræm) n1. a witty, often paradoxical remark, concisely expressed
2. (Poetry) a short, pungent, and often satirical poem, esp one having a witty and ingenious ending
[C15: from Latin epigramma, from Greek: inscription, from epigraphein to write upon, from graphein to write]
ˌepigramˈmatic, ˌepigramˈmatical adj
ˌepigramˈmatically adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ep•i•gram
(ˈɛp ɪˌgræm)
n. 1. a witty, ingenious, or pointed saying tersely expressed.
2. epigrammatic expression: a genius for epigram.
3. a short, concise poem, often satirical, displaying a witty or ingenious turn of thought.
[1400–50; late Middle English < Latin
epigramma < Greek
epígramma inscription, epigram. See
epi-,
-gram1]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
epigram
a pithy statement, often containing a paradox. — epigrammatist, n.
See also: Proverbs
a pithy statement, often containing a paradox.
See also: Language-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
epigram
A brief but memorable statement making a pithy observation.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited