n. pl. e·pen·the·ses (-sēz′) The insertion of a sound in the middle of a word, as in Middle English thunder from Old English thunor. [Late Latin, from Greek, from epentithenai, to insert : ep-, epi-, epi- + en-, in; see EN-2 + tithenai, to place; see dhē- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] ep′en·thetic (ĕp′ĭn-thĕtĭk) adj. |
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