Plural of epithet; descriptive words or phrases that characterize someone or something, often becoming closely associated with them.
From Greek epitheton (from epitithemi 'to place upon'). The word entered English to describe a device of classical rhetoric.
Famous epithets are so powerful that we instantly know who people mean—'Honest Abe,' 'the Iron Lady,' 'the Great Communicator'—they're shortcuts that actually tell you something!
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