epsilon

[ ep-suh-lon, -luh n or, esp. British, ep-sahy-luh n ]

/ ˈɛp səˌlɒn, -lən or, esp. British, ɛpˈsaɪ lən /

noun

the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet (E, ε).

the consonant sound represented by this letter.

Mathematics. an arbitrarily small quantity, used to indicate that a given quantity is small, or close to zero.

Words nearby epsilon

epping, epping forest, epr, eprom, eps, epsilon, epsilon-delta, epsilon-neighborhood, epsom, epsom salt, epsom salts

Origin of epsilon

< Greek è psīlón bare, simple e (as opposed to diphthongal spellings which in later Gk represented the same sound)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for epsilon

A pilot comes back from Epsilon Eridani, for example, and insists on giving everybody left-handed salutes.
Next Door, Next World|Robert Donald Locke
Epsilon Lyr, which is the northern one of these two stars, may be used as a test of keen eyesight.
Astronomy for Young Folks|Isabel Martin Lewis
I dreamed they all committed suicide because Epsilon was too good for them.
Competition|James Causey
Turn your glass upon the star shown in the map just above Mu (μ) and Epsilon (ε).
Astronomy with an Opera-glass|Garrett Putman Serviss

The fact still remains that Epsilon had better be habitable or Pan-Asia will scream we're hogging it.
Competition|James Causey

British Dictionary definitions for epsilon (1 of 2)

epsilon

/ (ˈɛpsɪˌlɒn, ɛpˈsaɪlən) /

noun

the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ε, ε), a short vowel, transliterated as e

Word Origin for epsilon

Greek e psilon, literally: simple e

British Dictionary definitions for epsilon (2 of 2)

Epsilon

/ (ˈɛpsɪˌlɒn, ɛpˈsaɪlən) /

noun

(foll by the genitive case of a specified constellation) the fifth brightest star in a constellationEpsilon Aurigae

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for epsilon

epsilon

[ ĕp′sə-lŏn′, -lən ]

n.

The fifth letter of the Greek alphabet.

The fifth in a series.

adj.

Of or relating to the fifth member of a particular ordered set.

Relating to or characterizing a polypeptide chain that is one of five types of heavy chains present in immunoglobins.