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• eta
  eta

  noun

  the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet (H, η).
• E.T.A.
  E.T.A.

  abbreviation

  estimated time of arrival.
• ETA
  ETA

  abbreviation

  estimated time of arrival

eta

¹ American  

[ey-tuh, ee-tuh] / ˈeɪ tə, ˈi tə /

noun

1. the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet (H, η).

2. the vowel sound represented by this letter.

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E.T.A. ² American  

Or ETA

abbreviation

1. estimated time of arrival.

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ETA ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. estimated time of arrival

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ETA ² British  

/ ˈɛtə /

acronym

1. Euzkadi ta Askatsuna: an organization of militant Basque nationalists attempting to gain independence for the Basques, esp those ruled by Spain, until a ceasefire in 1998, by means of guerrilla warfare

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eta ³ British  

/ ˈiːtə /

noun

1. the seventh letter in the Greek alphabet (Η, η), a long vowel sound, transliterated as e or ē

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eta ⁴ British  

/ ˈeɪtə /

noun

1. (in Japan, formerly) a member of a class of outcasts who did menial and dirty tasks

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Etymology

Origin of eta

< Greek êta; compare Hebrew ḥeth heth

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

eta E.T.A. ETA

But other variants – eta, theta, iota – were quickly steamrolled and are now irrelevant.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 14, 2021

Status Symbol The H on the men’s clothing is the Greek letter eta.

From National Geographic

Among 44 men who were intensely concerned with their athletic ability, Little reports in the journal A eta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 32 suffered from neuroses that had been set off by physical ailments.

From Time Magazine Archive

The importance of those men dressed in white is clearly shown by the symbol that looks like an H, the Greek letter eta.

From National Geographic

In gold his family revelled and rolled, Himself and his wife and his sons so bold, And his daughters who sang to their harps of gold O bella eta dell' oro.

From Magnum Bonum by Yonge, Charlotte Mary

“Home tonight, hopefully,” the 25-year-old driver said about Dakar, an E.T.A. that would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

From New York Times ● Nov. 8, 2022

I really enjoyed “The Nutcracker”! I know that it is based on a story by E.T.A.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 20, 2019

The ballet was based on a story called ‘The Nutcracker and the Mouse King’ by the German writer E.T.A.

From Fox News ● Dec. 18, 2018

Written by Ashleigh Powell, Tom McCarthy; based on a story by E.T.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2018

One of Richard's most strongly marked characteristics was the tenacity with which he held any idea that once entered his mind; and it is worthy of note that about this period he read E.T.A.

From Richard Wagner Composer of Operas by Runciman, John F.

He said his ETA was 5 p.m., and it ended up being 5:25 p.m., typical 405 Freeway.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

At some point, you realize the ETA is 30 minutes, and the remaining distance is three miles.

From Barron's ● May 3, 2026

Visitors to the UK need an ETA if they do not need a visa for short stays of up to six months, or do not already have a UK immigration status.

From BBC ● Apr. 15, 2026

Connecting passengers only need an ETA if they are connecting to a flight within the U.K.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026

I let it go to voice mail and shoot her a quick text to give her my ETA.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed