This noun means word, utterance, or saying—especially in the sense of a brief expression or turn of phrase. In Hebrews 7:9, the author uses the expression 'so to speak' or 'if I may say so'—ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, a classical idiom meaning 'in a word' or 'to put it briefly.' Classical usage ranged from sung words and promises to oracles and proverbial sayings. Homer used it for speech accompanied by music. The multilingual evidence shows interpretive approaches: word, palabra, parole—all recognizing this as a unit of speech, though context determines whether it's ordinary speech or formal utterance.