omega
UK[ˈəʊmɪɡə]US[oʊˈmeɪɡə]
n
The 24th and last letter of the Greek alphabet (Ω, ω)
n
The last of a series; the final development or end
Etymology
The word 'omega' entered English in the 14th century, borrowed directly from the Greek 'ὦ μέγα' (ō mega), meaning "great O." This name distinguished it from 'omicron' (ὂ μικρόν, o mikron), meaning "small O." The term is formed from the Greek letter 'ω' (ō) and the adjective 'μέγας' (megas, "great"), reflecting its historical development as a long vowel sound in contrast to the short 'o'. In English, its literal meaning as the final Greek letter evolved metaphorically to signify the last or ultimate element of any series, drawing from the biblical phrase "I am the Alpha and the Omega" to symbolize the beginning and the end.
Analysis
The word is a direct borrowing from the Greek alphabet and functions as a simplex noun in English. It is not productively formed from smaller English morphemes.
Examples
Alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.
The treaty marked the omega of a long and bitter conflict.
In physics, omega is often used as a symbol for angular velocity.