Meanings
- not comparableThat lives on or near the surface of the land.
For other Leptodirini, the contraction of the life cycle is less radical, being intermediate between this extreme and a epigean life cycle.
2015 July 8, “Convergent Reduction of Ovariole Number Associated with Subterranean Life in Beetles”, in PLOS ONE, →DOI
plural epigeans
- Any organism that lives on or near the surface of the land.
We also studied the female internal system for a species in the subgenus Aphaenops (Cerbaphaenops), and two species belonging to two other genera, one endogean (Geotrechus) and one epigean (Trechus).
2015 July 8, “Convergent Reduction of Ovariole Number Associated with Subterranean Life in Beetles”, in PLOS ONE, →DOI
Origin
- Ancient Greekἐπίγειος“earthly”
- Englishepigean
From Ancient Greek ἐπίγειος (epígeios, “earthly”), from ἐπί (epí, “on top of”) + γαῖα (gaîa, “earth”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
epigean. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epigean
“epigean.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epigean. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “epigean,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epigean.
Source: epigean on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.