epigraph
US /ˈep.ə.ɡræf/
UK /ˈep.ə.ɡræf/
1.
a short quotation or saying at the beginning of a book or chapter, intended to suggest its theme.
:
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The novel opened with an intriguing epigraph from an ancient philosopher.
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Each chapter of the book had a relevant epigraph.
2.
an inscription on a building, statue, or coin.
:
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The ancient monument bore an illegible epigraph.
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Archaeologists are trying to decipher the epigraph on the newly discovered tablet.