Epʹisode (3 syl.)

is the Greek epieis-odos (coming in besides—i.e. adventitious), meaning an adventitious tale introduced into the main story.

In music, an intermediate passage in a fugue, whereby the subject is for a time suspended.

“In ordinary fugues … it is usual to allow a certain number of bars to intervene from time to time, after which the subject is resumed. The intervening bars … are called Episodes.”—Ouseley: Counterpoint, xxii. 169.