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A short poem treating concisely and pointedly of a single thought or event. The modern epigram is so contrived as to surprise the reader with a witticism or ingenious turn of thought, and is often satirical in character. Dost thou think I care for a satire or an epigram Shak.

Writing epigrams; dealing in epigrams; as, an epigrammatical poet.

In the way of epigram; in an epigrammatic style.

One who composes epigrams, or makes use of them. The brisk epigrammatist showing off his own cleverness. Holmes.

To represent by epigrams; to express by epigrams.

One who writes in an affectedly pointed style. Epigrammatizers of our English prose style. Coleridge.

An epigrammatist. Jer. Taylor.

flowers of literature, that is, beautiful passages from authors; a collection of poems or epigrams; -- particularly applied to a collection of ancient Greek epigrams.

Conceit; affected sentiment or thought. [Obs.] He . . . is full of conceptions, points of epigram, and witticism. Dryden.

or an abrupt change in its construction, a long or significant pause, or an unexpected or epigrammatic turn of sentiment. Dashes are also sometimes used instead of marks or parenthesis. John Wilson.

character. The quick eye for effects, the clear diagnosis of men's minds, and the love of epigram. Compton Reade. My diagnosis of his character proved correct. J. Payn. Differential diagnosis (Med.), the determination of the distinguishing characteristics as between two similar diseases or conditions.…

A couple of verses or poetic lines making complete sense; an epigram of two verses.

Malignity; spitefulness; virulency. The rancor of pamphlets, the inveteracy of epigrams, an the mortification of lampoons. Guardian.

ch in few words, after the manner of the Laconians or Spartans; brief and pithy; brusque; epigrammatic. In this sense laconic is the usual form. I grow laconic even beyond laconicism; for sometimes I return only yes, or no, to questionary or petitionary epistles of half a yard long. Pope. His sense was strong and his s…

to go. [Slang] As long as George the Fourth could reign, he reigned, And then he mizzled. Epigram, quoted by Wright.

Characterized by sharpness, directness, or pithiness of expression; terse; epigrammatic; especially, directed to a particular person or thing. His moral pleases, not his pointed wit. Pope. Pointed arch (Arch.), an arch with a pointed crown. -- Pointed style (Arch.), a name given to that style of architecture in which…

portive manner; to throw out in an easy and copious manner; -- with off; as, to sport off epigrams. Addison. To sport one's oak. See under Oak, n.

The point of an epigram or other sarcastic saying. Sting moth (Zoöl.), an Australian moth (Doratifera vulnerans) whose larva is armed, at each end of the body, with four tubercles bearing powerful stinging organs. -- Sting ray. (Zoöl.) See under 6th Ray. -- Sting winkle (Zoöl.), a spinose marine univalve shell of the…

A stanza, epigram, or poem, consisting of four verses or lines. Pope.

ectedly witty; an attempt at wit; a conceit. Milton. He is full of conceptions, points of epigram, and witticisms; all which are below the dignity of heroic verse. Addison.