entry
episode
/ˈɛpɪsəʊd/self-contained event within a larger sequence
From Greek epi (upon) + Greek eis (into) + Greek hod (way).
from French épisode or directly
+1 more sourcefrom French épisode or directly
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from French épisode or directly
+1 more sourcefrom French épisode or directly
+1 more sourceGreek theater loved its rhythm: song, chorus, song, chorus. Then along came the epeisodion, the little thing that slipped in beside the main action, like an actor walking on to break the musical spell. That makes the word feel almost architectural — epi for 'beside' or 'in addition,' eis for 'into,' and hodos for 'road' — as if meaning itself is taking a side path. The same road-root turns up in cousins like method, synod, and exodus, all of them obsessed with movement, routes, and getting from here to there. By the time English picked up episode in the 1670s, it could mean a striking incident in a life story; by the radio era, it was the weekly cliffhanger you waited for like a pilgrim waiting for the next mile marker. It’s a word that still feels like something stepping briefly off the road and then, just as quickly, back onto it.
The Story
Greek theater loved its rhythm: song, chorus, song, chorus. Then along came the epeisodion, the little thing that slipped in beside the main action, like an actor walking on to break the musical spell. That makes the word feel almost architectural — epi for 'beside' or 'in addition,' eis for 'into,' and hodos for 'road' — as if meaning itself is taking a side path. The same road-root turns up in cousins like method, synod, and exodus, all of them obsessed with movement, routes, and getting from here to there. By the time English picked up episode in the 1670s, it could mean a striking incident in a life story; by the radio era, it was the weekly cliffhanger you waited for like a pilgrim waiting for the next mile marker. It’s a word that still feels like something stepping briefly off the road and then, just as quickly, back onto it.
Modern Usage
a medical or personal episode: a noticeable spell of illness, distress, or behavior
Popularized by: clinical and everyday English usage, later reinforced in internet and informal speech
Notable References
- "episodes of dizziness"
- "a bad episode"
Kin & Kindred
From 'epi'·upon, in addition, beside
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'eis'·into, toward, inward
From 'hod'·way, path, journey
Derived Terms
English words from this root