alpha
English
edit— | → beta | |
Wikipedia article on alpha |
Etymology
editFrom the Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha), the first letter of the Greek alphabet, from the Phoenician 𐤀 (ʾ, “aleph”). Doublet of alif and aleph.
Pronunciation
editNoun
editalpha (countable and uncountable, plural alphas)
- The name of the first letter of the Greek alphabet (Α, α), followed by beta. In the Latin alphabet it is the predecessor to A.
- Latin alpha: the Latin letter Ɑ (minuscule: ɑ).
- (sciences) The name of the symbols Α and α used in science and mathematics, often interchangeable with the symbols when used as a prefix.
- I will attempt to make an alpha particle ("α-particle") with the Large Hadron Collider.
- (finance) The return of a given asset or portfolio adjusted for systematic risk.
- Coordinate term: beta
- 2011 July 18, John Cassidy, “Mastering the Machine”, in The New Yorker[1], →ISSN:
- To investment professionals, “alpha” is the return over and above the market return. If in a given year the S. & P. 500 returns fifteen per cent and an equity-fund manager generates a return of twenty per cent, his alpha is five per cent.
- A person, especially a male, who is dominant, successful and attractive; (see alpha male).
- 2009, Martin G. Groder, Pat Webster, Winning at Love: The Alpha Male's Guide to Relationship Success[3], Bascom Hill Books, →ISBN, page ix:
- This book is primarily for alpha males, or “top dogs.” We'll talk more about that later; but let's just say that if you are a man and successful in the world of trade, business, or profession, most likely you are an alpha, or you have been trained to act like an alpha.
- (informal, abbreviation) Short for alphabet. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
- (software engineering) The first versions of a program, usually only available to the developer, and only tested by the developer.
- 2007, Mark Summerfield, Rapid GUI Programming with Python and Qt: The Definitive Guide to PyQt Programming[4], Pearson Education, →ISBN:
- We will assume you got the
.tgz
version—later 2.x series versions such as 2.5.2 or 2.6.0 should be okay, provided they are production releases (not alphas, betas, or release candidates).
- (aviation) Angle of attack.
- (computer graphics) The level of translucency of a color, as determined by the alpha channel.
- (computer graphics) Ellipsis of alpha layer.
- (statistics) The significance level of a statistical test; the alpha level.
- (fandom slang) In omegaverse fiction, a person of a dominant secondary sex driven by biology, magic, or other means to bond with an omega, with males of this type often having canine-like genitalia.
- 2013, Kristina Busse, “Pon Farr, Mpreg, Bonds, and the Rise of the Omegaverse”, in Anne Jamison, editor, Fic: Why Fanfiction Is Taking Over the World, page 317:
- Sometimes the alphas and omegas are rare, sometimes they are only males, sometimes they have altered sex organs.
- 2017, Marianne Gunderson, "What is an omega? Rewriting sex and gender in omegaverse fanfiction", thesis submitted to the University of Oslo, page 11:
- Sherlock realizes that John, despite being an alpha, sees and loves Sherlock for who he is, "a brilliant, mad, nutter of a man," instead of only wanting him for his reproductive functions, his ability to become pregnant.
- 2018, Laura Campillo Arnaiz, “When the Omega Empath Met the Alpha Doctor: An Analysis of Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics in the Hannibal Fandom”, in Ashton Spacey, editor, The Darker Side of Slash Fan Fiction, page 130:
- Contrary to the typical scenario expected in a dark A/B/O story, in this story both Hannibal and Will are alphas—but Hannibal wants Will to be his omega; subservient and submissive to him only.
Derived terms
edit- Acrux
- alpha-
- alpha acid
- alpha-adrenoreceptor
- alpha-amino acid
- alpha and omega
- alpha-beta filter
- alphabetagamma
- alpha-beta pruning
- alpha blending
- alpha blocker, alpha-blocker
- alpha brass
- alpha carbon
- alpha cell
- alpha channel
- alpha-chlorotoluene
- alpha city
- alpha conversion
- alphacypermethrin
- alpha-cyperone
- alpha decay
- alpha-d-galactosidase
- alpha-dog
- alpha dog
- alpha dogging
- alpha emission
- alpha emitter
- alpha error
- alpha floor
- alpha-gal
- alpha-GAL
- alpha globin
- alpha helix
- alpha hinge
- alpha-hydroxy acid
- alpha-hydroxyprogesterone
- alpha-lactam
- alphalike
- alpha linolenic acid
- alphalytic
- alpha male
- alpha max
- alphameprodine
- alpha-methylphenethylamine
- alphamethyltryptamine
- alpha-methyltryptamine
- alpha naphthol
- alpha-naphthylthiourea
- alphanumeric
- alpha pair
- alpha paper
- alpha particle
- alpha privative
- alpha privativum
- alphaprodine
- alpha protection
- alpha-PVP
- alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone
- alpha quartz
- alpha-quartz
- alpha radiation
- alpha ray
- alpha-receptor
- alpha rhythm
- alpha strike
- alphasyllabary
- alpha taxonomy, alpha-taxonomy
- alpha-test
- alpha testing
- alpha-thalassemia-intellectual disability syndrome
- alphatron
- alpha up
- alpha version
- alpha wave
- alphette
- alphol
- alprazolam
- alteplase
- antithrombin
- enormous Lyman-alpha nebula
- ensen's alpha
- female alpha
- labetalol
- Latin alpha
- Lyman-alpha forest
- male alpha
- pre-alpha version
- triple-alpha process
Related terms
editTranslations
editname of the letter Α, α
|
name of the letter Ɑ, ɑ — see Latin alpha
See also
edit- (Greek-script letter names) alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta, eta, theta, iota, kappa, lambda, mu, nu, xi, omicron, pi, rho, sigma, tau, upsilon, phi, chi, psi, omega
Further reading
edit- Alpha (investment) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Adjective
editalpha (not comparable)
- Designates the first in an order of precedence.
- I am the alpha male.
- (of person, object or action) Exhibiting characteristics of the alpha male/female archetype.
- 2015, Life Is Strange, Square Enix:
- And thank you. Seriously. I'll call you later.
You better. I'm feeling pretty alpha now.
Yes, you are.
- (astronomy) Designates some bright star, usually the brightest star, of a constellation.
- When interstellar travel becomes feasible, I plan to visit Alpha Centauri.
- Clipping of alphabetical.
- Sort the list in alpha order.
Derived terms
editAnagrams
editFrench
editPronunciation
editNoun
editalpha m (plural alpha)
- alpha (Greek letter)
Further reading
edit- “alpha”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Interlingua
editNoun
editalpha
Latin
editEtymology
editFrom Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha).
Pronunciation
edit- (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ˈaɫ.pʰa]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ˈal.fa]
Noun
editalpha n (indeclinable)
References
edit- “alpha”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “alpha”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- "alpha", in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
- alpha in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
Portuguese
editNoun
editalpha m (plural alphas)
- Pre-reform spelling (used until 1943 in Brazil and 1911 in Portugal) of alfa.
Vietnamese
editEtymology
edit(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
edit- (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [ʔaːn˧˧ faː˧˧]
- (Huế) IPA(key): [ʔaːŋ˧˧ faː˧˧]
- (Saigon) IPA(key): [ʔaːŋ˧˧ faː˧˧]
- Phonetic spelling: an pha
Noun
editalpha
Categories:
- English terms derived from Ancient Greek
- English terms derived from Phoenician
- English doublets
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/ælfə
- Rhymes:English/ælfə/2 syllables
- English lemmas
- English nouns
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- en:Sciences
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- en:Software engineering
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- English ellipses
- en:Statistics
- English fandom slang
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- English uncomparable adjectives
- en:Stars
- English clippings
- en:Omegaverse
- en:Greek letter names
- en:Latin letter names
- en:Personality
- French 2-syllable words
- French terms with IPA pronunciation
- French terms with audio pronunciation
- French terms with homophones
- French lemmas
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- French countable nouns
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- fr:Greek letter names
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- Latin terms derived from Ancient Greek
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- Latin lemmas
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- la:Greek letter names
- Portuguese lemmas
- Portuguese nouns
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- Portuguese masculine nouns
- Portuguese forms superseded in 1943
- Portuguese forms superseded in 1911
- Vietnamese terms with IPA pronunciation
- Vietnamese lemmas
- Vietnamese nouns