sigma
Americannoun
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the 18th letter of the Greek alphabet: Σ, σ, ς.
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the consonant sound represented by this letter.
noun
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the 18th letter in the Greek alphabet (Σ, σ, or, when final, ς), a consonant, transliterated as S
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maths the symbol Σ, indicating summation of the numbers or quantities indicated
Etymology
Origin of sigma
First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin, from Greek sígma
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Slay" as a slang term means to greatly impress or amuse, and "sigma" means popular or successful.
From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2025
With the time-lapse microscopy, they tracked expression of a protein, the alternative sigma factor RpoD4.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 25, 2024
If you’re lurking in dark corners of the internet, there’s alpha, beta and sigma males.
From Salon ● Oct. 14, 2023
The discrepancy between the two estimates has a statistical significance of five sigma, meaning there is only about a one-in-a-million chance of it being a statistical fluke.
From Scientific American ● Apr. 18, 2022
His feet were ornamented, rather than protected, by delicate buskins of black leather, decked with the silver sigma, in its old crescent shape, the proud initial of the high term senator.
From The Roman Traitor, Vol. 1 by Herbert, Henry William
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
