Quick Definition
ἔπος, ους, τό n.n. a word, so to speak
Strong's Definition
from 2036; a word
KJV Usage: X say
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, n.
33.139 · Communication · Interpret, Mean, Explain
Collocation: ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν
that is, that is to say, so to speak, in a sense (an idiom, literally: as to speak a word) an expression used to introduce an alternative form of expression as an interpretation of what has been said
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἔπος, -εος, (-ovs), τό, @ word: ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν (see εἶπον, 1 a. p. 181"), Heb. vii. 9." [ϑυν. ἔπος seems primarily to designate a word as an articulate manifestation of a mental state, and so to differ from ῥῆμα (q. v.),the mere vocable; for its relation to λόγος see λόγος 1. 1.]
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἔπος epos 1x
a word, that which is expressed by words; ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, so to say, if the expression may be allowed, Heb. 7:9*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ἔπος, -εος (-ους), τό
[in LXX: Za 7:3, Si 44:5 * ;]
a word: ὡς ἔ. εἰπεῖν (cl.), so to speak: He 7:9.†
SYN.: λόγος, reasoned speech; ῥῆμα, mere articulated utterance; ἔ., the articulated expression of a thought
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἔπος. The phrase ὡς ἔπος ἐστὶν εἰπεῖν occurs in P Oxy I. 6 (a dispute concerning property—a.D. 338) qualifying a preceding πάντα : it is a literary reminiscence as in Heb 7%, the only place where ἔπος occurs in the NT. In the early Syll 178 (v/B.c.) we have οὐδ᾽ ἔπει οὐδὲ ἔργοι, cf. 557, and in OGZS 51°? (iii/B.c.) ἐπῶν ποιηταί are contrasted with τραγῳδιῶν π. and κωμωιδιῶν π΄.» cf. Sir 44°: see also Sy// 6937! (iii/B.c.), 722° (ii/B.c.). As distinguished from λόγος, speech in progress, (F)émos, vox, Sanskrit vac, etc., describes a single utterance: see Pro/eg. p. 111. woe
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ἔπος (epos) — a word. ἔπος, older ϝέπος [Refs], etc., εος, τό (Sanskrit vácas 'word', 'hymn', compare εἶπον):
I. word, παύρῳ ἔπει in short utterance, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: generally, that which is uttered in words, speech, tale, ἔπος ἐρέειν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; joined with μῦθος, [Refs 8th c.BC+] —Special uses,
I.1. song or lay accompanied by music, [Refs]
I.2. pledged word, promise, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; τελέσαι ἔπος fulfil, keep one's word,[Refs 4th c.BC+]
I.3. word in season, counsel, [Refs 8th c.BC+]
I.4. word of a deity, oracle, [Refs 8th c.BC+]
I.5. saying, proverb, τὸ παλαιὸν ἔπος [Refs 5th c.BC+]
I.6. word, opposed to deed, ἔπε᾽ ἀκράαντα words of none effect, opposed to ἔτυμα, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; opposed to ἔργον, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; opposed to βίη, [Refs 8th c.BC+]
I.7. subject of a speech, message, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II. later usages,
II.1. joined with ἔργον or πρᾶγμα [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.2. κατ᾽ ἔπος word by word, κατ᾽ ἔ. βασανιεῖν φησι τὰς τραγῳδίας [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.3. πρὸς ἔπος at the first word, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
II.3. b word in exchange for word, ἀμείβεσθαι, ἀποκρίνεσθαι, of an oracle, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.3. c οὐδὲν πρὸς ἔ. to no purpose, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also, nothing to the purpose, ἐὰν μηδὲν πρὸς ἔ. ἀποκρίνωμαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί πρὸς ἔπο; [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.4. ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν almost, practically, qualifying a too absolute expression, especially with πᾶς and οὐδείς (not with metaphors), [Refs 5th c.BC+]; opposed to ὄντως or ἀκριβεῖ λόγῳ, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; in Trag., ὡς εἰπεῖν ἔ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.5. ἑνὶ ἔπει in one word, briefly, ἑνὶ ἔπεϊ πάντα συλλαβόντα λέγειν [Refs 5th c.BC+]
III. of single words, especially with reference to etymology or usage, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὀρθότης ἐπῶν,=ὀρθοέπεια (which see), [Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV. in plural, epic poetry, opposed to μέλη (lyric poetry), ἰαμβεῖα, διθύραμβοι, etc., ῥαπτῶν ἐπέων ἀοιδοί [Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV. b generally, poetry, even lyrics, [Refs 7th c.BC+]
IV. c lines, verses, especially of spoken lines in the drama, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: singular, verse, line of poetry, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; group of verses, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV. d lines of writing, μυρίων ἐπῶν μῆκος [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν ὅλοις ἑπτὰ ἔπεσι παραδραμεῖν, of a historian, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]