upsilon
[ yoop-suh-lon, -luhn, uhp-; especially British yoop-sahy-luhn ]
/ ˈyup səˌlɒn, -lən, ˈʌp-; especially British yupˈsaɪ lən /
noun
the 20th letter of the Greek alphabet (Υ, υ).
the vowel sound represented by this letter.
Also called upsilon particle. Physics. any of a family of heavy, short-lived, neutral mesons that are composed of a bottom quark and its antiquark. Symbol: Υ, υ
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Origin of upsilon
First recorded in 1615–25; from Late Greek ŷ psīlón, literally, “simple u” (to distinguish it from the digraph oi, pronounced the same in Late Greek )
Words nearby upsilon
upside, upside down, upside-down cake, upsides, upside the head, upsilon, upsilon particle, upsize, upskill, upspin, upspring
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for upsilon
This species is the ypsilon of Borkhausen, and the upsilon of other authors.
The Moths of the British Isles, Second Series|Richard SouthShe issued an order, therefore, that for a certain time Upsilon was to have no playthings.
Walter Pieterse|Multatuli
British Dictionary definitions for upsilon
upsilon
/ (ˈʌpsɪˌlɒn, juːpˈsaɪlən) /
noun
the 20th letter in the Greek alphabet (Υ, υ), a vowel, transliterated as y or u
Word Origin for upsilon
C17: from Medieval Greek u psilon simple u, name adopted for graphic u to avoid confusion with graphic oi, since pronunciation was the same for both in Late Greek
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
Medical definitions for upsilon (1 of 2)
upsilon
n.
The 20th letter of the Greek alphabet.
Medical definitions for upsilon (2 of 2)
υ
The Greek letter upsilon. Entries beginning with this character are alphabetized under upsilon.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.