Word of the Day: Epitome

epitome e-pit-o-me / ĭ-pĭt-ə-mē   noun 1. a person or thing that is a perfect example of a particular quality or type A man so various that he seem’d to be Not one, but all mankind’s epitome: Stiff in opinions, always in the wrong; Was everything by starts, and nothing long: But, in the course of one revolving moon, Was chemist, fiddler, statesman, and buffoon. John Dryden 1631-1700   2. a brief summary of a literary work; an abstract The examination was commenced by Mr. Bastings reading the story of “The Gluttonous Bear,” of which the children in the first and second classes, as a test of their composition and spelling, had to write an epitome, as far as possible in their own words. “Measures, Not Men.”, ‘The Tuapeka Times’, Volume 1, Issue 15, May 30, 1868