epidemic, adj. 1. prevalent, widespread, extensive, prevailing, predominant, pandemic; wide-ranging, far-reaching, general; rampant, sweeping, rife; endemic; epizootic.
-n. 2. plague, pestilence, pest, disease, Obs. murrain; contagion, infection; endemic, pandemic; visitation, scourge; illness, sickness, ailment, malady.
3. increase, raise, boost, rise, elevation; mounting, skyrocketing; upsurge, upswing, shooting up, upturn, step-up; burgeoning, nourishing,
epidermis, n. skin, scarfskin, integument, outerskin, cuticle; Anat. derma, Anat. dermis, Anat. corium, cutis.
epigram, n. 1. witticism, quip, mot, bon mot, turn of thought, Fr. jeu d'esprit, Atticism; pleasantry, jest, pun, Fr. jeu de mots, Fr. calembour, equivoque, play on words, double entendre.
2. adage, aphorism, gnome, proverb, moral, apothegm; saw, saying, words of wisdom, Archaic, word, Archaic, sentence; axiom, maxim, precept; motto, byword, catchword,
epigrammatic, adj. 1. terse, tight, compact, succinct, concise; brief, short, to the point, pointed, pithy; exact, precise, sharp, neat, keen; ingenious, witty, crisp, well-turned, It. ben trovato; laconic, lean, elliptical, breviloquent, Rare, pauciloquent.
2. aphorismatic, aphoristic, gnomic, sententious, moralistic, proverbial; axiomatic, apothegmatic, preceptive.
epilogue, n. afterword, postscript, PS, coda, excursus, tail, tailpiece, Music, postlude, (in poetry) envoy; supplement, addendum, appendix, back matter; conclusion, peroration, codicil, swan song, last or final words.
epiphany, n. 1. incarnation, theophany, Hindu Myth, avatar; (all esp. of a deity) appearance, manifestation, revelation, apparition, embodiment, materialization.
2. Literature, perception, insight, inspiration, Fr. apercu; recognition, cognizance, realization, identification; understanding, awareness, comprehension, conception, apprehension.
3. Epiphany Three Kings' Day, Twelfth Day, Twelfth Night, Twelfthtide.
episcopacy, n. 1. Eccles. government by bishops; Episcopalianism.
2. (all of a bishop) incumbency, office, episcopate, bishopric, archbishopric, prelacy; canonry, prebendary.
3. bishops collectively, body of bishops,
episcopal, adj. 1. hierarchical, ecclesiastical, clerical; prelatical, canonical, capitular; apostolic, sacerdotal, priestly, hieratic; pontifical, papal.
-n. 2. (cap.) Informal. See - Episcopalian. Episcopalian, n. member of the Protestant Episcopal Church, Inf. Episcopal; member of the Church of England, Anglican, Anglo-Catholic, High Churchman, Inf. C of E, Low Churchman,
episcopate, n. 1. (all of a bishop) incumbency, office, term, appointment, calling, benefice. See - bishopric and
episcopacy (def. 2).
2. diocese, see, bishopric, ecclesiastical district or jurisdiction. See - diocese and
see2.
3. bishops collectively.
episode, n. 1. incident, occurrence, event, happening; circumstance, occasion; experience, adventure; affair, action, thing; a link in the chain, a slice in the loaf of life; interlude, digression, excursus.