ἔπος
Alt. ἔπος, εος,
Etym. ἔπω1
I. "a word", Od., etc.:— "a tale, story, lay", id=Od.
2. "a pledged word, promise", Il., etc.
3. "a word of advice, counsel", id=Il.
4. "the word of a deity, a prophecy, oracle", Od., Hdt., Trag.:—later also, "a saying, saw, proverb", Hdt.
5. "the meaning, substance, subject of a speech, a thing or matter", Il.
II. Phrases:— ἅμα ἔπος τε καὶ ἔργον ἐποίεε "no sooner said than done," Hdt.
2. κατ᾽ ἔπος "word by word, exactly", Ar.
3. οὐδὲν πρὸς ἔπος nothing "to the purpose", Plat.
4. ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν or ὡς εἰπεῖν ἔπος, "so to say, as the saying is", Eur., etc.
5. ἑνὶ ἔπει "in one word, briefly", Hdt.
III. in pl. "poetry in heroic verse, epic poetry", opp. to μέλη (lyric poetry), etc., id=Hdt., attic: also, generally, "poetry", Pind.
2. in sg. "a verse or line" of poetry, Hdt., Ar.