Epitaph

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈɛpɪtæf/

Origin

Old French epitafe, from Latin epitaphium ("eulogy"), from Ancient Greek ἐπιτάφιος (epitaphios, "relating to a funeral"), from ἐπί (epi, "over") + τάφος (taphos, "tomb").

Full definition of epitaph

Noun

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

Verb

1. (intransitive) To write or speak after the manner of an epitaph.
• Bishop HallThe common in their speeches epitaph upon him ... "He lived as a wolf and died as a dog."
2. (transitive) To commemorate by an epitaph.
• G. HarveyLet me be epitaphed the inventor of English hexameters.