PAL

Ptolemaeus Arabus et Latinus

_ (the underscore) is the placeholder for exactly one character.
% (the percent sign) is the placeholder for no, one or more than one character.
%% (two percent signs) is the placeholder for no, one or more than one character, but not for blank space (so that a search ends at word boundaries).

At the beginning and at the end, these placeholders are superfluous.

epicycle ‘epicycle’

English

References: Alm. Toomer: 144. – PH Hamm: I.9:5, 51:21
Translation of:
Greek: ἐπίκυκλος [Alm. Heiberg: III.3, 218:3,7,14,22,23. – Handy Tables: 159:7; 166:5,10,15,21; 168:15,20,24. – Insc. Canobi: 150:6,16,18,20; 151:2,4,7,13,15,17,23. – PH Heiberg: I.9:5, 82:24]