/'epɪk; `ɛpɪk/
n
1 (a) long poem about the deeds of one or more great heroes, or a nation's past history 叙事诗; 史诗
*Homer's Iliad is a famous epic. 荷马的《伊利亚特》是着名的史诗.
(b) long film, story, etc dealing with heroic deeds and exciting adventures 叙述英雄事迹和历险的电影、故事等
*yet another epic about the Roman empire 另一部关于罗马帝国的电影.
2 (infml or joc 口或谑) subject fit to be regarded as heroic 惊人之举
*Mending the car became something of an epic. 修理汽车竟然也算是了不起的事.

adj [usu attrib 通常作定语] of or like an epic; heroic; grand 史诗般的; 英勇的; 宏伟的
*an epic encounter, struggle, achievement 可歌可泣的遭遇战、英勇的斗争、伟大的成就.

The female epic is a concept in literary criticism that seeks to expand generic boundaries by identifying ways in which women authors have adapted the masculine epic tradition to express their own heroic visions.