v. [f. EPITOME sb. + -IZE.]
1. trans. To make an epitome of; to abridge.
1599. Sandys, Europæ Spec. (1632), Pref. 2. The same Booke was but a spurious stolne Copy, in part epitomized … from the Authors Originall.
1644. Milton, Judgm. Bucer (1851), 341. Thus far Martin Bucer, whom … I deny not to have epitomiz’d.
1783. Johnson, Lett. Mrs. Thrale, 13 June. Mrs. Dobson … epitomised a very bulky French Life of Petrarch.
1830. D’Israeli, Charles I., III. vi. 92, note. He was accustomed to epitomise Hooker, and others, on the present subject.
1868. Peard, Water-Farm., xii. 118. For the benefit of our readers, we will epitomise the pamphlet.
absol. 1861. Pearson, Early & Mid. Ages Eng., 119. He epitomizes, as if he were giving the pith of a paragraph that had just been read out to him.
b. To summarize; to give a concise account of; to state the essence of (a matter) briefly.
1624. Capt. Smith, Virginia, V. 172. Thus have you briefely epitomized Mother Natures benefits.
1683. Kennett, trans. Erasmus’ Moriæ Enc., 65.
| Had I as many tongues as Argus eyes, | |
| Briareus hands, they all would not suffice | |
| Folly in all her shapes t’ epitomise. |
1728. Morgan, Algiers, II. v. 321. Hassan Aga, whose Life I had begun to epitomize.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng., I. 123. I shall however in a few pages briefly epitomize what passed.
1877. E. R. Conder, Bas. Faith, Pref. 11. Exhaustively to epitomise the evidence of Theism.
2. a. To contain in a small compass; to comprise in brief the sum of. b. To put into a small compass; to concentrate.
a. 1628. Wither, Brit. Rememb., IV. 1711/128. For, God in this one single Plague, comprised Those other Iudgements, all, epitomized.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 149. A Carpet, a Pan, and a Platter, epitomizes all their Furniture.
1868. Stanley, Westm. Ab., v. 386. In some respects it [the Chapter House] epitomises the vicissitudes of the Abbey itself.
b. 1635. Austin, Medit., 129. Hee himselfe epitomized those ten into two.
1654. Cokaine, Dianea, I. 51. In whom it appeared that Nature and Fortune had Epitomized all the wonders of the World.
a. 1763. Shenstone, Ess., 106. Art, indeed, is often requisite to collect and epitomize the beauties of nature.
1857. Willmott, Pleas. Lit., xxi. 126. We have all the wilfulness of Cleopatra epitomized when [etc.].
† 3. To reduce to a smaller scale. Obs.
1612. Woodall, Surg. Mate, Wks. (1655), Pref. 19. A Surgeons Chest epitomized.
1630. Drayton, David & Goliah (R.). All those rare parts that in his brothers were Epitomiz’d, at large in him appear.
1660. Fuller, Mixt Contempl. (1841), 258. Our standing army shall be epitomized to a more moderate proportion.
1713. Guardian, No. 108. We should, in a little time, see mankind epitomized, and the whole species in miniature.
