Both Uses

epithet
in
The Bluest Eye
(Auto-generated)

Marie seldom called Pecola the same thing twice, but invariably her epithets were fond ones chosen from menus and dishes that were forever uppermost in her mind.†
Chpt 2 *
Grumbling a few disinterested epithets, they moved away.†
Chpt 3

Definitions:

(1) (epithet as in: racial epithet)
an insulting or abusive word or phrase used to refer to a person or group
(2) (epithet as in: earned the epithet, "The Great")
a descriptive word or phrase used with a name or in place of it

An epithet often highlights a special quality of a person, place, or thing—such as Alexander the Great, The Great Emancipator for Abraham Lincoln, The Big Apple for New York City, or man's best friend for a dog.
(3) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
In botany, a specific epithet or epithet is the word identifying the species.