Chapter D: Valve (12)

Defn: Epidermal. [R.]

EPIDERMIS Ep`i*der"mis, n. Etym: [L., fr. Gr. Tear, v. t.]

1. (Anat.)

Defn: The outer, nonsensitive layer of the skin; cuticle; scarfskin. See Dermis.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: The outermost layer of the cells, which covers both surfaces of leaves, and also the surface of stems, when they are first formed. As stems grow old this layer is lost, and never replaced.

EPIDERMOID Ep`i*der"moid, a. Etym: [Cf. F. épidermoïde.] (Anat.)

Defn: Like epidermis; pertaining to the epidermis.

EPIDERMOSE Ep`i*der"mose, n. Etym: [See Epidermis.] (Physiol. Chem.)

Defn: Keratin.

EPIDICTIC; EPIDICTICAL Ep`i*dic"tic, Ep`i*dic"tic*al, a. Etym: [L. epidictius. See Epideictic.]

Defn: Serving to explain; demonstrative.

EPIDIDYMIS Ep`i*did"y*mis, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: An oblong vermiform mass on the dorsal side of the testicle, composed of numerous convolutions of the excretory duct of that organ. -- Ep`i*did"y*mal, a.

EPIDIDYMITIS Ep`i*did`y*mi"tis, n. Etym: [NL. See Epididymis, and -itis.] (Med.)

Defn: Inflammation of the epididymis, one of the common results of gonorrhea.

EPIDOTE Ep"i*dote, n. Etym: [Gr. épidote. So named from the enlargement of the base of the primary, in some of the secondary forms.] (Min.)

Defn: A mineral, commonly of a yellowish green (pistachio) color, occurring granular, massive, columnar, and in monoclinic crystals. It is a silicate of alumina, lime, and oxide of iron, or manganese.

Note: The Epidote group includes ordinary epidote, zoisite or lime epidote, piedmontite or manganese epidote, allanite or serium epidote.

EPIDOTIC Ep`i*dot"ic,, a.

Defn: Related to, resembling, or containing epidote; as, an epidotic granite.

EPIGAEA Ep`i*gæ"a, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: An American genus of plants, containing but a single species (E. repens), the trailing arbutus.

EPIGAEOUS Ep`i*gæ"ous, a. Etym: [Gr. Epigæa, and cf. Epigee.] (Bot.)

Defn: Growing on, or close to, the ground.

EPIGASTRIAL Ep`i*gas"tri*al, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Epigastric.

EPIGASTRIC Ep`i*gas"tric, a. Etym: [Gr. épigastrique.]

1. (Anat.)

Defn: Pertaining to the epigastrium, or to the epigastric region.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Over the stomach; -- applied to two of the areas of the carapace of crabs. Epigastric region. (Anat.) (a) The whole upper part of the abdomen. (b) An arbitrary division of the abdomen above the umbilical and between the two hypochondriac regions.

EPIGASTRIUM Ep`i*gas"tri*um, n. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: The upper part of the abdomen.

EPIGEAL Ep`i*ge"al, a. (Bot.)

Defn: Epigæous. [R.]

EPIGEE Ep"i*gee, n. Etym: [NL. epigeum, fr. Gr. Epigæa.]

Defn: See Perigee. [Obs.]

EPIGENE Ep"i*gene, a. Etym: [Pref. epi- + Gr.

1. (Crystallog.)

Defn: Foreign; unnatural; unusual; -- said of forms of crystals not natural to the substances in which they are found.

2. (Geol.)

Defn: Formed originating on the surface of the earth; -- opposed to hypogene; as, epigene rocks.

EPIGENESIS Ep`i*gen"e*sis, n. Etym: [Pref. epi- + genesis.] (Biol.)

Defn: The theory of generation which holds that the germ is created entirely new, not merely expanded, by the procreative power of the parents. It is opposed to the theory of evolution, also to syngenesis.

EPIGENESIST Ep`i*gen"e*sist, n. (Biol.)

Defn: One who believes in, or advocates the theory of, epigenesis.

EPIGENETIC Ep`i*ge*net"ic, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to the epigenesis; produced according to the theory of epigenesis.

EPIGEOUS Ep`i*ge"ous, a.

Defn: Same as Epigæous.

EPIGEUM Ep*i*ge"um, n. Etym: [NL. See Epigee.]

Defn: See Perigee. [Obs.]

EPIGLOTTIC Ep`i*glot"tic, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Pertaining to, or connected with, the epiglottis.

EPIGLOTTIDEAN Ep`i*glot*tid"e*an, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Same as Epiglottic.

EPIGLOTTIS Ep`i*glot"tis, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. Glottis.] (Anat.)

Defn: A cartilaginous lidlike appendage which closes the glottis while food or drink is passing while food or drink is passing through the pharynx.

EPIGNATHOUS E*pig"na*thous, a. Etym: [Epi- + Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Hook-billed; having the upper mandible longer than the lower.

EPIGRAM Ep"i*gram, n. Etym: [L. epigramma, fr. Gr. épigramme. See Graphic.]

1. A short poem treating concisely and pointedly of a single thought or event. The modern epigram is so contrived as to surprise the reader with a witticism or ingenious turn of thought, and is often satirical in character. Dost thou think I care for a satire or an epigram Shak.

Note: Epigrams were originally inscription on tombs, statues, temples, triumphal arches, etc.

2. An effusion of wit; a bright thought tersely and sharply expressed, whether in verse or prose.

3. The style of the epigram. Antithesis, i. e., bilateral stroke, is the soul of epigram in its later and technical signification. B. Cracroft.

EPIGRAMMATIC; EPIGRAMMATICAL Ep`i*gram*mat"ic, Ep`i*gram*mat"ic*al,Etym: [L. epigrammaticus: cf. F. épigrammatique.]

1. Writing epigrams; dealing in epigrams; as, an epigrammatical poet.

2. Suitable to epigrams; belonging to epigrams; like an epigram; pointed; piquant; as, epigrammatic style, wit, or sallies of fancy.

EPIGRAMMATICALLY Ep`i*gram*mat"ic*al*ly, adv.

Defn: In the way of epigram; in an epigrammatic style.

EPIGRAMMATIST Ep`i*gram"ma*tist, n. Etym: [L. epigrammatista: cf. F. épigrammatiste.]

Defn: One who composes epigrams, or makes use of them. The brisk epigrammatist showing off his own cleverness. Holmes.

EPIGRAMMATIZE Ep`i*gram"ma*tize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Epigrammatized; p. pr. & vb. n. Epigrammatizing.]

Defn: To represent by epigrams; to express by epigrams.

EPIGRAMMATIZER Ep`i*gram"ma*ti`zer, n.

Defn: One who writes in an affectedly pointed style. Epigrammatizers of our English prose style. Coleridge.

EPIGRAMMIST Ep"i*gram`mist, n.

Defn: An epigrammatist. Jer. Taylor.

EPIGRAPH Ep"i*graph, n. Etym: [Gr. épigraphe. See Epigram.]

1. Any inscription set upon a building; especially, one which has to do with the building itself, its founding or dedication.

2. (Literature)

Defn: A citation from some author, or a sentence framed for the purpose, placed at the beginning of a work or of its separate divisions; a motto.

EPIGRAPHIC; EPIGRAPHICAL Ep`i*graph"ic, Ep`i*graph"ic*al, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to epigraphs or to epigraphy; as, an epigraphic style; epigraphical works or studies.

EPIGRAPHICS Ep`i*graph"ics, n.

Defn: The science or study of epigraphs.

EPIGRAPHIST E*pig"ra*phist, n.

Defn: A student of, or one versed in, epigraphy.

EPIGRAPHY E*pig"ra*phy, n.

Defn: The science of inscriptions; the art of engraving inscriptions or of deciphering them.

EPIGYNOUS E*pig"y*nous, a. Etym: [Pref. epi- + Gr. épigyne.] (Bot.)

Defn: Adnate to the surface of the ovary, so as to be apparently inserted upon the top of it; -- said of stamens, petals, sepals, and also of the disk.

EPIHYAL Ep`i*hy"al, n. Etym: [Pref. epi- + the Greek letter (Anat.)

Defn: A segment next above the ceratohyal in the hyoidean arch.

EPILEPSY Ep"i*lep`sy, n. Etym: [L. epilepsia, Gr. épilepsie. Cf. Catalepsy.] (Med.)

Defn: The "falling sickness," so called because the patient falls suddenly to the ground; a disease characterized by paroxysms (or fits) occurring at interval and attended by sudden loss of consciousness, and convulsive motions of the muscles. Dunglison.

EPILEPTIC Ep`i*lep"tic, a. Etym: [L. epilepticus, Gr. épileptique.]

Defn: Pertaining to, affected with, or of the nature of, epilepsy.

EPILEPTIC Ep`i*lep"tic, n.

1. One affected with epilepsy.

2. A medicine for the cure of epilepsy.

EPILEPTICAL Ep`i*lep"tic*al, a.

Defn: Epileptic.

EPILEPTIFORM Ep`i*lep"ti*form, a.

Defn: Resembling epilepsy.

EPILEPTOGENOUS Ep`i*lep*tog"e*nous, a. Etym: [Gr. -genous.] (Med.)

Defn: Producing epilepsy or epileptoid convulsions; -- applied to areas of the body or of the nervous system, stimulation of which produces convulsions.

EPILEPTOID Ep`i*lep"toid, a. Etym: [Gr. -oid.] (Med.)

Defn: Resembling epilepsy; as, epileptoid convulsions.

EPILOGATION Ep`i*lo*ga"tion, n. Etym: [LL. epilogatio.]

Defn: A summing up in a brief account. [Obs.] Udall.

EPILOGIC; EPILOGICAL Ep`i*log"ic, Ep`i*log"ic*al, a. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: Of or pertaining to an epilogue.

EPILOGISM E*pil"o*gism, n. Etym: [Gr. Epilogue.]

Defn: Enumeration; computation. [R.] J. Gregory.

EPILOGISTIC Ep`i*lo*gis"tic, a. Etym: [Cf. Gr. Epilogism.]

Defn: Of or pertaining to epilogue; of the nature of an epilogue. T. Warton.

EPILOGIZE E*pil"o*gize, v. i. & t. Etym: [See Epilogism.]

Defn: To speak an epilogue to; to utter as an epilogue.