English▸ noun the tenth letter of the Greek alphabet (Κ, κ), transliterated in the traditional Latin style as ‘c’ (as in Socrates) or in the modern style as ‘k’ (as in kyanite and in the etymologies of this dictionary).
▪ [followed by Latin genitive] (Kappa) Astronomy the tenth star in a constellation:
Kappa Orionis.
▪ [as modifier] Biochemistry denoting one of the two types of light polypeptide chain present in all immunoglobulin molecules (the other being lambda).
– ORIGIN Greek.