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alpha

UK/ˈæːl.fɑː/ US/ˈæl.fə/ common informal slang
noun (2) adjective (2)

noun

1.

the 1st letter of the Greek alphabet

2.

the beginning of a series or sequence

  • “the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” -Revelations

adjective

1.

first in order of importance

  • “the alpha male in the group of chimpanzees”
  • “the alpha star in a constellation is the brightest or main star”
Similar
2.

early testing stage of a software or hardware product

  • “alpha version”
Similar

Origin

From the Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha), the first letter of the Greek alphabet, from the Phoenician 𐤀 (ʾ, “aleph”).

Phrases

  • alpha acid
  • alpha and omega
  • alpha blending
  • alpha blocker
  • Alpha Centauri
  • alpha female
  • alpha geek
  • alpha strike
  • alpha test
  • alpha-adrenergic blocking agent
  • alpha-amino acid
  • alpha-beta filter

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Parts

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.