Epicondyle Ep`i·con"dyle noun [ Prefix epi- + condyle .] (Anat.) A projection on the inner side of the distal end of the humerus; the internal condyle.

Epicoracoid Ep`i·cor"a·coid noun [ Prefix epi- + coracoid .] (Anat.) A ventral cartilaginous or bony element of the coracoid in the shoulder girdle of some vertebrates.

Epicranial Ep`i·cra"ni·al adjective (Anat.) Pertaining to the epicranium; as, epicranial muscles.

Epicranium Ep`i·cra"ni·um noun [ New Latin See Epi- , and Cranium .] 1. (Anat.) The upper and superficial part of the head, including the scalp, muscles, etc.

2. (Zoology) The dorsal wall of the head of insects.

Epictetian Ep`ic·te"tian adjective [ Greek ..., from ... Epictetus.] Pertaining to Epictetus, the Roman Stoic philosopher, whose conception of life was to be passionless under whatever circumstances.

Epicure Ep"i·cure noun [ Latin Epicurus , Greek ..., a famous Greek philosopher, who has been regarded, but erroneously, as teaching a doctrine of refined voluptuousness.] 1. A follower of Epicurus; an Epicurean. [ Obsolete] Bacon.

2. One devoted to dainty or luxurious sensual enjoyments, esp. to the luxuries of the table.

Syn. -- Voluptuary; sensualist.

Epicurean Ep`i·cu·re"an adjective [ Latin Epicureus , Greek ...: confer épicurien .] 1. Pertaining to Epicurus, or following his philosophy. "The sect Epicurean ." Milton.

2. Given to luxury; adapted to luxurious tastes; luxurious; pertaining to good eating.

Courses of the most refined and epicurean dishes.

Prescott.

Epicurean philosophy . See Atomic philosophy , under Atomic .

Epicurean Ep`i·cu·re"an noun 1. A follower or Epicurus.

2. One given to epicurean indulgence.

Epicureanism Ep`i·cu·re"an·ism noun Attachment to the doctrines of Epicurus; the principles or belief of Epicurus.

Epicurely Ep"i·cure`ly adverb Luxuriously. Nash.

Epicureous Ep`i·cu·re"ous adjective Epicurean. [ Obsolete]

Epicurism Ep"i·cu·rism noun [ Confer French épicurisme .] 1. The doctrines of Epicurus.

2. Epicurean habits of living; luxury.

Epicurize Ep"i·cu·rize intransitive verb 1. To profess or tend towards the doctrines of Epicurus. Cudworth.

2. To feed or indulge like an epicure. Fuller.

Epicycle Ep"i·cy`cle noun [ Latin epicyclus , Greek ...; 'epi` upon + ... circle. See Cycle .] 1. (Ptolemaic Astron.) A circle, whose center moves round in the circumference of a greater circle; or a small circle, whose center, being fixed in the deferent of a planet, is carried along with the deferent, and yet, by its own peculiar motion, carries the body of the planet fastened to it round its proper center.

The schoolmen were like astronomers which did feign eccentrics, and epicycles , and such engines of orbs.

Bacon.

2. (Mech.) A circle which rolls on the circumference of another circle, either externally or internally.

Epicyclic Ep`i·cyc"lic adjective Pertaining to, resembling, or having the motion of, an epicycle.

Epicyclic train (Machinery) , a train of mechanism in which epicyclic motion is involved; esp., a train of spur wheels, bevel wheels, or belt pulleys, in which an arm, carrying one or more of the wheels, sweeps around a center lying in an axis common to the other wheels.

Epicycloid Ep`i·cy"cloid noun [ Epicycle + -oid : confer French épicycloïde .] (Geom.) A curve traced by a point in the circumference of a circle which rolls on the convex side of a fixed circle.

» Any point rigidly connected with the rolling circle, but not in its circumference, traces a curve called an epitrochoid . The curve traced by a point in the circumference of the rolling circle when it rolls on the concave side of a fixed circle is called a hypocycloid ; the curve traced by a point rigidly connected with the rolling circle in this case, but not its circumference, is called a hypotrochoid . All the curves mentioned above belong to the class class called roulettes or trochoids . See Trochoid .

Epicycloidal Ep`i·cy·cloid"al adjective Pertaining to the epicycloid, or having its properties.

Epicycloidal wheel , a device for producing straight-line motion from circular motion, on the principle that a pin fastened in the periphery of a gear wheel will describe a straight line when the wheel rolls around inside a fixed internal gear of twice its diameter.

Epideictic Ep`i·deic"tic adjective [ Greek ..., from ... to show forth, display; 'epi` + ... to show. Confer Epidictic .] Serving to show forth, explain, or exhibit; - - applied by the Greeks to a kind of oratory, which, by full amplification, seeks to persuade.

Epidemic Ep`i·dem"ic noun [ Confer Epidemy .] 1. (Medicine) An epidemic disease.

2. Anything which takes possession of the minds of people as an epidemic does of their bodies; as, an epidemic of terror.

Epidemic, Epidemical Ep`i·dem"ic, Ep`i·dem"ic·al adjective [ Latin epidemus , Greek ..., ..., among the people, epidemic; ... in + ... people: confer French épidémique . Confer Demagogue .] 1. (Medicine) Common to, or affecting at the same time, a large number in a community; -- applied to a disease which, spreading widely, attacks many persons at the same time; as, an epidemic disease; an epidemic catarrh, fever, etc. See Endemic .

2. Spreading widely, or generally prevailing; affecting great numbers, as an epidemic does; as, epidemic rage; an epidemic evil.

It was the epidemical sin of the nation.

Bp. Burnet.

Epidemically Ep`i·dem"ic·al·ly adverb In an epidemic manner.

Epidemiography Ep`i·de`mi·og"ra·phy noun [ Epidemy + -graphy .] (Medicine) A treatise upon, or history of, epidemic diseases.

Epidemiological Ep`i·de`mi·o·log"ic·al adjective Connected with, or pertaining to, epidemiology.

Epidemiologist Ep`i·de`mi·ol"o·gist noun A person skilled in epidemiology.

Epidemiology Ep`i·de`mi·ol"o·gy noun [ Epidemy + -logy .] (Medicine) That branch of science which treats of epidemics.

Epidemy Ep"i·dem`y noun [ Greek ..., from ...: confer French épidémie . See Epidemic .] (Medicine) An epidemic disease. Dunglison.

Epiderm Ep"i·derm noun [ Confer French épiderme . See Epidermis .] (Anat.) The epidermis.

Epidermal Ep`i·der"mal adjective Of or pertaining to the epidermis; epidermic; cuticular.

Epidermatic Ep`i·der·mat"ic adjective Epidermal. [ R.]

Epidermatoid Ep`i·der"ma·toid adjective [ Greek 'epi` upon + de`rma , -atos , skin + -oid . Confer Epidermoid .] (Anat.) Epidermoid. Owen.

Epidermeous Ep`i·der"me·ous adjective Epidermal. [ R.]

Epidermic Ep`i·der"mic adjective [ Confer French épidermique .] Epidermal; connected with the skin or the bark.

Epidermic administration of medicine (Medicine) , the application of medicine to the skin by friction.

Epidermical Ep`i·der"mic·al adjective Epidermal. [ R.]

Epidermidal Ep`i·der"mi·dal adjective Epidermal. [ R.]

Epidermis Ep`i·der"mis noun [ Latin , from Greek ...; ... over + ... skin, from ... to skin. See Tear , transitive verb ] 1. (Anat.) The outer, nonsensitive layer of the skin; cuticle; scarfskin. See Dermis .

2. (Botany) The outermost layer of the cells, which covers both surfaces of leaves, and also the surface of stems, when they are first formed. As stems grow old this layer is lost, and never replaced.

Epidermoid Ep`i·der"moid adjective [ Confer French épidermoïde .] (Anat.) Like epidermis; pertaining to the epidermis.

Epidermose Ep`i·der"mose noun [ See Epidermis .] (Physiol. Chem.) Keratin.

Epidictic, Epidictical Ep`i·dic"tic, Ep`i·dic"tic·al adjective [ Latin epidictius . See Epideictic .] Serving to explain; demonstrative.

Epididymis Ep`i·did"y·mis noun [ New Latin , from Greek ...; 'epi` upon + ... testicle.] (Anat.) An oblong vermiform mass on the dorsal side of the testicle, composed of numerous convolutions of the excretory duct of that organ. -- Ep`i*did"y*mal adjective

Epididymitis Ep`i·did`y·mi"tis noun [ New Latin See Epididymis , and -itis .] (Medicine) Inflammation of the epididymis, one of the common results of gonorrhea.

Epidote Ep"i·dote noun [ Greek ... to give besides; ... over + ... to give: confer French épidote . So named from the enlargement of the base of the primary, in some of the secondary forms.] (Min.) A mineral, commonly of a yellowish green (pistachio) color, occurring granular, massive, columnar, and in monoclinic crystals. It is a silicate of alumina, lime, and oxide of iron, or manganese.

» The Epidote group includes ordinary epidote, zoisite or lime epidote , piedmontite or manganese epidote , allanite or cerium epidote .

Epidotic Ep`i·dot"ic , adjective Related to, resembling, or containing epidote; as, an epidotic granite.

Epigastrial Ep`i·gas"tri·al adjective (Anat.) Epigastric.

Epigastric Ep`i·gas"tric adjective [ Greek ... over the belly; 'epi` upon + ... belly: confer French épigastrique .] 1. (Anat.) Pertaining to the epigastrium, or to the epigastric region.

2. (Zoology) Over the stomach; -- applied to two of the areas of the carapace of crabs.

Epigastric region . (Anat.) (a) The whole upper part of the abdomen. (b) An arbitrary division of the abdomen above the umbilical and between the two hypochondriac regions.

Epigastrium Ep`i·gas"tri·um noun [ New Latin , from Greek ....] (Anat.) The upper part of the abdomen.

Epigeal Ep`i·ge"al adjective (Botany) Epigæous. [ R.]

Epigee Ep"i·gee noun [ New Latin epigeum , from Greek ... upon the earth. See Epigæa .] See Perigee . [ Obsolete]

Epigene Ep"i·gene adjective [ Prefix epi- + Greek ... to be born, grow.] 1. (Crystallog.) Foreign; unnatural; unusual; -- said of forms of crystals not natural to the substances in which they are found.

2. (Geol.) Formed originating on the surface of the earth; -- opposed to hypogene ; as, epigene rocks.

Epigenesis Ep`i·gen"e·sis noun [ Prefix epi- + genesis .] (Biol.) The theory of generation which holds that the germ is created entirely new, not merely expanded, by the procreative power of the parents. It is opposed to the theory of evolution , also to syngenesis .

Epigenesist Ep`i·gen"e·sist noun (Biol.) One who believes in, or advocates the theory of, epigenesis.

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