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epsilon

Syllabification: (ep·si·lon)
Pronunciation: /ˈepsiˌlän/
Definition of epsilon

noun

  • the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ε, ε), transliterated as ‘e.’.
  • [as modifier] denoting the fifth in a series of items, categories, etc..
  • (Epsilon) [followed by Latin genitive] Astronomy the fifth star in a constellation:Epsilon Carinae

symbol

(ε)
  • permittivity.

Origin:

early 18th century: Greek, 'plain or simple E', from psilos 'plain', referring to the need to distinguish epsilon from the diphthong ai: in late Greek the two had the same pronunciation

epsilon in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of epsilon in the British & World English dictionary
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