I. ˈepik, -pēk adjective
also ep·i·cal ˈepə̇kəl, -pēk-
Etymology: Latin epicus, from Greek epikos, from epos word, speech, epic poem + -ikos -ic, -ical — more at voice
1.
a. : of, relating to, or befitting an epic
epic poets
an epic hero
: heroic
the epic period in Greek history
b. : having the characteristics of, resembling, or suggestive of an epic
they are heroic poems … but that they are epic in any save the most general sense … is not quite clear — W.P.Ker
2. : extending beyond the usual or ordinary especially in size or scope
transforms the conventional length of bread into an epic loaf — Rosamund Frost
: undertaken on a grand scale
the final paragraph of this epic biography — W.L.Shirer
: imposing , impressive
improvisation … that ranges from out-and-out burlesque to epic grandeur of scene and action — Saxe Commins
a faithful record of an epic expedition — C.A.Lejeune
a strange … human being of rather epic proportions — Richard Watts
II. noun
( -s )
1. : a long narrative poem recounting the deeds of a legendary or historical hero:
a. : a long narrative poem (as Homer's Iliad ) recounting heroic deeds set against a background of war and the supernatural, having a serious theme developed in a coherent and unified manner, written in a dignified style, and marked by certain formal characteristics (as a beginning in medias res, the invocation to the muse, and the use of extended similes) — called also classical epic
b. : a long narrative poem (as Milton's Paradise Lost ) having the structure, conventions, and tone of the classical epic but dealing with later or different subject matter — called also literary epic
c. : a long narrative poem (as Beowulf ) expressing the early ideals, characteristics, and traditions of a people or nation — called also folk epic
d. : the literary genre consisting of epic poems
epic and romance
2. : something felt to resemble an epic
an epic in stone and marble — Samuel Butler †1902
as
a. : a long narrative poem
an epic … every spring — Lord Byron
b. : a prose narrative (as a novel), play, or motion picture
voluminous epics on the moral conquest of poverty — E.S.Bates
a Broadway epic — Wolcott Gibbs
eager for short features to exhibit along with the full-length Hollywood epics — Dun's Review
especially : one embodying a nation's ideals or historical traditions or centering around the adventures or achievements of a single person or character
Moby Dick is an American epic — Richard Chase
3. : a series of events or body of legend or tradition felt to form the proper subject of an epic
revives the memories of the great American epic , the winning of the West — William Clark
4. usually capitalized : old ionic