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Encomium

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en⋅co⋅mi⋅um

[en-koh-mee-uhm]
–noun, plural -mi⋅ums, -mi⋅a [-mee-uh] .
a formal expression of high praise; eulogy: An encomium by the President greeted the returning hero.

Origin:
1580–90; < L < Gk enkmion, equiv. to en- en- 2 + kôm(os) a revel + -ion n. suffix
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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en·co·mi·um   (ěn-kō'mē-əm)   
n.   pl. en·co·mi·ums or en·co·mi·a (-mē-ə)
  1. Warm, glowing praise.

  2. A formal expression of praise; a tribute.


[Latin encōmium, from Greek enkōmion (epos), (speech) praising a victor, neuter of enkōmios, of the victory procession : en-, in; see en-2 + kōmos, celebration.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Main Entry:  encomium
Part of Speech:  n
Definition:  a formal expression of praise, esp. an elaborate eulogy; laudation
Etymology:  Greek enkomion 'eulogy'
Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon
Copyright © 2003-2009 Dictionary.com, LLC
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Word Origin & History

encomium 
1589, from L.L. encomium, from Gk. enkomion (epos) "laudatory (ode), eulogy," from en- "in" + komos "banquet, procession, merrymaking."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

encomium

a prose or poetic work in which a person, thing, or abstract idea is glorified. Originally an encomium was a Greek choral song honouring the hero of the Olympic Games and sung at the victory celebration at the end of the Games. The Greek writers Simonides of Ceos and Pindar wrote some of the earliest of these original encomia. The term later took on the broader meaning of any composition of a laudatory nature. Verse forms of the encomium include the epinicion and the ode. The word is from the Greek enkomion, "laudatory ode" or "panegyric."

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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