epiphany
[ ih-pif-uh-nee ]
/ ɪˈpɪf ə ni /
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noun, plural e·piph·a·nies.
(initial capital letter) a Christian festival, observed on January 6, commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the Magi; Twelfth-day.
an appearance or manifestation, especially of a deity.
a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.
a literary work or section of a work presenting, usually symbolically, such a moment of revelation and insight.
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Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?
First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.
First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.
First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.
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Origin of epiphany
OTHER WORDS FROM epiphany
ep·i·phan·ic [ep-uh-fan-ik], /ˌɛp əˈfæn ɪk/, e·piph·a·nous, adjectiveWords nearby epiphany
EpiPen, epipetalous, Epiph., Epiphania, epiphanize, epiphany, epipharynx, epiphenomenalism, epiphenomenon, epiphloedal, epiphonema
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for epiphany
British Dictionary definitions for epiphany (1 of 2)
epiphany
/ (ɪˈpɪfənɪ) /
noun plural -nies
the manifestation of a supernatural or divine reality
any moment of great or sudden revelation
Derived forms of epiphany
epiphanic (ˌɛpɪˈfænɪk), adjectiveWord Origin for epiphany
C17: via Church Latin from Greek epiphaneia an appearing, from epi- + phainein to show
British Dictionary definitions for epiphany (2 of 2)
Epiphany
/ (ɪˈpɪfənɪ) /
noun plural -nies
a Christian festival held on Jan 6, commemorating, in the Western Church, the manifestation of Christ to the Magi and, in the Eastern Church, the baptism of Christ
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Cultural definitions for epiphany
Epiphany
[ (i-pif-uh-nee) ]
A festival in Christianity celebrating the visit of the Wise Men to the infant Jesus. Epiphany means “a showing forth” — in this case a showing forth of Jesus to the Gentiles.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.