omicron

== English == === Alternative forms === Omicron, omikron, Omikron o, O Ο, ο === Etymology === From Latin omicron, from Koine Greek ὂ μῑκρόν (ò mīkrón, “little o”), named in contrast with omega (“big o”). The uncommon form omicra is similarly borrowed from Latin and Greek. The use for designating stars in a constellation—typically in order of apparent brightness—began with Johann Bayer's 1603 Uranometria. === Pronunciation === (UK) IPA(key): /ˈɒmɪkɹɒn/, /ˈɒmɪkɹən/, /ˈəʊmɪkɹɒn/, /əʊˈmaɪkɹɒn/, /əʊˈmaɪkɹən/, /əˈmaɪkɹɒn/, /əˈmaɪkɹən/ (US) IPA(key): /ˈoʊməˌkɹɑn/, /ˈoʊmɪˌkɹɑn/, /ˈɑməˌkɹɑn/, /ˈɑmɪˌkɹɑn/ Rhymes: -aɪkɹɒn Homophone: Omicron === Noun === omicron (plural omicrons or omicra) (sometimes capitalized) The 15th letter of the Classical and Modern Greek alphabets (16th in Ancient and Old Greek), used in ordering lists as in naming (astronomy) the 15th star of a constellation or (epidemiology) the 15th discovered major variant of a disease. 1992 July, Astronomy Now, No. 36, p. 1: ... They include Mira itself (omicron Ceti) which can be seen shortly before dawn. 2021 November 27, Vimal Patel, "How Omicron, the New Covid-19 Variant, Got Its Name", New York Times: There are now seven “variants of interest” or “variants of concern” and they each have a Greek letter, according to a W.H.O. tracking page. Some other variants with Greek letters do not reach those classification levels, and the W.H.O. also skipped two letters just before Omicron — “Nu” and “Xi” — leading to speculation about whether “Xi” was avoided in deference to the Chinese president, Xi Jinping. === Noun === omicron (uncountable) (virology, pathology) Ellipsis of Omicron variant. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== (Greek-script letter names) alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta, eta, theta, iota, kappa, lambda, mu, nu, xi, omicron, pi, rho, sigma, tau, upsilon, phi, chi, psi, omega === References === “omicon, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2021. “omicron”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present. Hauser, Christine. "How Do You Say 'Omicron'?" New York Times, 30 November 2021. West, James. "I Asked Seven Classics Experts How to Say 'Omicron'..." Mother Jones, 30 November 2021. === Anagrams === moronic, oncomir == French == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ɔ.mi.kʁɔ̃/, /ɔ.mi.kʁɔn/ === Noun === omicron m (plural omicron or omicrons) omicron (Greek letter) ==== Usage notes ==== The plural form omicrons is a product of the 1990 spelling reforms. === Further reading === “omicron”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Italian == === Noun === omicron m (invariable) omicron (Greek letter) === Anagrams === cromino == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from French omicron. === Noun === omicron m (plural omicron) omicron (Greek letter) ==== Declension ====