epic

• epick (archaic)

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɛp.ɪk/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈep.ɪk/

  • Audio (AU)

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• Rhymes: -ɛpɪk

From Middle French épique, from Latin epicus, from Ancient Greek ἐπικός (epikós), from ἔπος (épos, “word, story”).

epic (plural epics)

1. An extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, celebrating the feats of a deity, demigod (heroic epic), other legend or traditional hero.

   Synonyms: epopee, epos

   The Icelandic epic took all night to recite.

2. A series of events considered appropriate to an epic.

   The book was an epic in four volumes.

3. (software engineering) A large or extended user story.
   • 2019, Leslie Munday, Using Agile In A Quality Driven Environment, page 56:

     Epics are shown in a separate list from user stories. This is because it is the user stories that are developed, not epics. Epics are decomposed into child user stories.

epic (comparative more epic, superlative most epic)

1. Of or relating to an epic.

   Synonym: epical

   Beowulf is an epic poem.

   • 1983, Jan Knappert, Epic Poetry in Swahili and other African Languages, page 58:

     The main theme of epic poetry is, of course, the hero, his life, his greatness of character, his deeds and his death.

2. Momentously heroic; grand in scale or character

   The epic defense was rewarded with the highest military decorations

   • 2010 August 25, Agence France-Presse, “China's epic traffic jam 'vanished'”, in Google News‎, archived from the original on 28 August 2010:

     China's epic traffic jam "vanished" [title of article]

3. (colloquial, slang, informal) Extending beyond the usual or ordinary.

   Synonyms: extraordinary, momentous, remarkable

   The after-prom party was truly epic.

   You made an epic mistake.

   • 2018, Anthony McCarten, Bohemian Rhapsody (motion picture), spoken by Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek):

     Then tell him his daughter's an epic shag.

From epi-, from Ancient Greek ἐπί (epí, “on top of”).

epic (not comparable)

1. (category theory, of a morphism) That is an epimorphism.

• ECPI, pice

From English epic, from Latin epicus, from Ancient Greek ἐπικός (epikós), from ἔπος (épos, “word, story”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛpɪk/

epic (neuter epic, plural and definite singular attributive epic)

1. (slang, informal) Extending beyond the usual or ordinary; extraordinary, momentous, great.

   Det var virkelig epic.

   (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Borrowed from French épique, from Latin epicus.

epic m or n (feminine singular epică, masculine plural epici, feminine and neuter plural epice)

1. epic