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Epitome

2 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means a perfect example

Where does the word "epitome" come from? It comes from Greek epitomē, adopted directly into English (1520s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
epitomē
Greek · ancient
"abridgement"
Greek, 'epi-', upon, plus 'temnein', to cut
2
Stage 2 of 2
epitome
English · 1520s
"summary"
the sense 'perfect example' dates from the 1600s
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Epitome’s story begins in Greek: epitomē meant “abridgement.” Greek, 'epi-', upon, plus 'temnein', to cut. It reached English by 1520s as epitome. The sense 'perfect example' dates from the 1600s. Today, epitome means a perfect example.