epigrafe

epigraph

noun eh-PEE-grah-feh Rare

Origin: Greek epigraphē, inscription, from epi- + graphein, to write

Also means

inscription

Usage Note

Epigrafe refers both to an inscription carved on a building or tomb and to the short quotation placed at the beginning of a book or chapter. Epigrafe is feminine and invariable in its ending; its plural is epigrafi. Do not confuse it with epitaffio (epitaph), which is specifically a tomb inscription.

Examples

"Il libro apre con un'epigrafe di Dante."

Natural Translation

The book opens with an epigraph from Dante.

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