epigraph
/ˈɛpɪˌɡræf/
noun
- A short quotation or saying at the beginning of a book, chapter, or poem that suggests its theme.
- The novel began with an epigraph from Shakespeare.
- She chose a line by Maya Angelou as the epigraph for her memoir.
- The epigraph set a somber tone for the rest of the chapter.
- An inscription on a building, statue, or coin.
- Tourists gathered to read the epigraph carved into the base of the statue.
- The ancient epigraph on the monument was worn by centuries of weather.
- The coin's epigraph identified the emperor who minted it.
Synonyms