Epitasis
//ɪˈpɪtəsɪs// noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The second part of a play, in which the action begins. countable, uncountable
"How my uncle Toby and Corporal Trim managed this matter,—with the history of their campaigns, which were no way barren of events,—may make no uninteresting under-plot in the epitasis and working up of this drama."
- 2 The addition of a concluding sentence that merely emphasizes what has already been stated. countable, rhetoric, uncountable
- 3 The period of violence in a fever or disease; paroxysm. countable, obsolete, uncountable
Example
More examples"How my uncle Toby and Corporal Trim managed this matter,—with the history of their campaigns, which were no way barren of events,—may make no uninteresting under-plot in the epitasis and working up of this drama."
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἐπίτασις (epítasis, “stretching”), from ἐπιτείνω (epiteínō, “to stretch”), from ἐπί (epí) + τείνω (teínō, “stretch”).
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.