lambda

American  

[lam-duh] / ˈlæm də /

noun

1. the 11th letter of the Greek alphabet (Λ, λ).

2. the consonant sound represented by this letter.

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lambda British  

/ ˈlæmdə /

noun

1. the 11th letter of the Greek alphabet (Λ, λ), a consonant transliterated as l

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Etymology

Origin of lambda

< Greek lá ( m ) bda < Semitic; lamed

Example Sentences

In this study, they found that the lambda phage shares this mechanism.

From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2023

The Greek letter lambda in the cosmic recipe represents one possible explanation, the cosmological constant, which Einstein himself had proposed in 1917.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 21, 2023

Type I interferons’ reputation for unpleasant and sometimes deadly side effects, as well as interferons’ lack of efficacy in trials of hospitalized patients, may have slowed progress on researching interferon lambda.

From Scientific American • Feb. 8, 2023

With hepatitis treatments in mind, they had previously acquired a drug based on lambda interferons, a lesser-known type of interferon whose receptors are largely restricted to specific areas, like the respiratory tract.

From New York Times • Feb. 8, 2023

Pions and muons, plus and minus; the lambda and the antilambda.

From A Feast of Demons by Samachson, Joseph