ἐπέχω

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Ancient Greek

Etymology

From ἐπι- (epi-, upon) +‎ ἔχω (ékhō, to have, hold).

Pronunciation

 

Verb

ἐπέχω (epékhō)

  1. to have or hold upon
    • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 14.241:
      τῷ κεν ἐπισχοίης λιπαροὺς πόδας
      tôi ken episkhoíēs liparoùs pódas
      whereon thou mayest rest thy shining feet
    • New Testament, Epistle to the Philippians 2:16:
      λόγον ζωῆς ἐπέχοντες
      lógon zōês epékhontes
      holding forth the word of life
    1. to hold out to, present, offer
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 22.494:
        τῶν δ’ ἐλεησάντων κοτύλην τις τυτθὸν ἐπέσχε
        tôn d’ eleēsántōn kotúlēn tis tutthòn epéskhe
        and of them that are touched with pity, one holds forth his cup for a moment
      • 413 BCE, Euripides, Ion 1492:
        γάλακτι δ’ οὐκ ἐπέσχον
        gálakti d’ ouk epéskhon
        I did not offer you milk
      1. to extend, spread out
      2. to hold, contain
      3. to enjoin, impose
    2. to direct towards, aim at
      • 522 BCE – 443 BCE, Pindar, Olympian Ode 2.89:
        ἔπεχε νῦν σκοπῷ τόξον
        épekhe nûn skopôi tóxon
        Now direct your bow towards the mark
      1. (intransitive) to aim at, attack
        • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 17.91:
          δαιμονίη, τί μοι ὧδ’ ἐπέχεις κεκοτηότι θυμῷ;
          daimoníē, tí moi hôd’ epékheis kekotēóti thumôi?
          Good woman, why dost thou assail me with angry heart?
        • 46 CE – 120 CE, Plutarch, Pyrrhus 16:
          ἄνδρα κατιδὼν Ἰταλὸν ἐπέχοντα τῷ Πύρρῳ
          ándra katidṑn Italòn epékhonta tôi Púrrhōi
          observing that an Italian man was intent upon Pyrrhus
      2. to direct one's mind; to intend, purpose
        • 46 CE – 120 CE, Plutarch, Aemilius Paulus 8:
          ἐπεῖχε τῷ πολέμῳ τὴν γνώμην
          epeîkhe tôi polémōi tḕn gnṓmēn
          he directed his thoughts to war
        • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.80.4:
          τῷ Κροίσῳ ἄχρηστον ᾖ τὸ ἱππικόν, τῷ δή τι καὶ ἐπεῖχε ἐλλάμψεσθαι ὁ Λυδός
          tôi Kroísōi ákhrēston êi tò hippikón, tôi dḗ ti kaì epeîkhe ellámpsesthai ho Ludós
          Croesus' cavalry, which the Lydian intended to distinguish himself, might be of no use
      3. to stand facing (in battle)
    3. to hold back, keep in check; to withhold; to confine
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 21.244:
        ἐπέσχε δὲ καλὰ ῥέεθρα ὄζοισιν πυκινοῖσι
        epéskhe dè kalà rhéethra ózoisin pukinoîsi
        it held back the fair streams with its thick branches
      • 408 BCE, Euripides, The Phoenician Women 866:
        Ἐτεοκλέους μὲν οὕνεκ’ ἂν κλῄσας στόμα χρησμοὺς ἐπέσχον
        Eteokléous mèn hoúnek’ àn klḗisas stóma khrēsmoùs epéskhon
        For Eteocles I would have closed my lips and withheld all response
      • 46 CE – 120 CE, Plutarch, Cato the Younger 28:
        ἐπέσχε τῇ χειρὶ τὸ στόμα καὶ τὴν φωνὴν ἀπέκλεισεν
        epéskhe têi kheirì tò stóma kaì tḕn phōnḕn apékleisen
        but he covered his hand over his mouth and shut off his speech
        1. I stay, adjourn, suspend
        2. I stop, hinder from
      1. to wait, pause, refrain
        • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 7.139.1:
          ὅμως δὲ τῇ γέ μοι φαίνεται εἶναι ἀληθὲς οὐκ ἐπισχήσω
          hómōs dè têi gé moi phaínetai eînai alēthès ouk episkhḗsō
          but I will not refrain from saying what seems to me to be true
        • 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Electra 1369:
          εἰ δ’ ἐφέξετον
          ei d’ ephéxeton
          if you tarry
        • 525 BCE – 455 BCE, Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 697:
          ἐπίσχες ἔστ’ ἂν καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ προσμάθῃς.
          epískhes ést’ àn kaì tà loipà prosmáthēis.
          Wait until you have learned the rest as well.
        1. (with genitive) to stop from
          • 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 4.2.12:
            καὶ ὅπου ἂν ἀναπαύωνται ἢ ἐπίσχωσι τῆς πορείας
            kaì hópou àn anapaúōntai ḕ epískhōsi tês poreías
            And wherever they were to rest or halt from their march
        2. (Scepticism) to suspend judgement, doubt
    4. to reach or extend over
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 21.407:
        ἑπτὰ δ’ ἐπέσχε πέλεθρα πεσών
        heptà d’ epéskhe pélethra pesṓn
        He stretched over seven roods in his fall
      • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 7.19.1:
        ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς ἐλαίης τοὺς κλάδους γῆν πᾶσαν ἐπισχεῖν
        apò dè tês elaíēs toùs kládous gên pâsan episkheîn
        of which the shoots spread over the whole earth
    5. to have power over or occupy
      1. to prevail, predominate
        1. (of time) to continue
          • 366 BCE – 348 BCE, Plato, Theaetetus 165e:
            ἤλεγχεν ἂν ἐπέχων καὶ οὐκ ἀνιεὶς
            ḗlenkhen àn epékhōn kaì ouk anieìs
            and would have argued continuously and unceasingly

Inflection

Derived terms

Further reading