English Explanatory Dictionary

alpha

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. 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.
  2. Latin alpha: the Latin letter Ɑ (minuscule: ɑ).
  3. The name of the symbols Α and α used in science and mathematics, often interchangeable with the symbols when used as a prefix.
  4. The return of a given asset or portfolio adjusted for systematic risk.
  5. A person, especially a male, who is dominant, successful and attractive; (see alpha male).
  6. Clipping of alphabet.
  7. The first versions of a program, usually only available to the developer, and only tested by the developer.
  8. An angle of attack.
  9. The level of translucency of a color, as determined by the alpha channel.
  10. Ellipsis of alpha layer.
  11. The significance level of a statistical test; the alpha level.
  12. 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.
adj
  1. Designates the first in an order of precedence.
  2. Exhibiting characteristics of the alpha male/female archetype.
  3. Designates some bright star, usually the brightest star, of a constellation.
  4. Clipping of alphabetical.
name
  1. A placename.
  2. A ghost town in California, United States (USA).
  3. A village in Illinois, United States.
  4. A village in Michigan, United States.
  5. A city and village in Minnesota, United States.
  6. A borough of New Jersey, United States.
  7. A town in Queensland, Australia.
  8. Former name of the International Space Station.
  9. A RISC CPU instruction set architecture developed and marketed by Digital Equipment Corporation (then later by Compaq and then Hewlett-Packard) from 1992 until 2004.
noun
  1. Alternative letter-case form of alpha.
  2. A member of Generation Alpha.

Pronunciation

/ˈælfə/ [ˈæɫ.fə] en-us-alpha.ogg /ˈalfɑ/ /ˈɑlfɑ/ /əlˈfɑ/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Alpha.wav

Word forms

alpha alphas

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Semitic *ʔalp- Phoenician 𐤀𐤋𐤐 (ʾlp)bor. Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha)bor. English alpha From the Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha), the first letter of the Greek alphabet, from the Phoenician 𐤀 (ʾ, “aleph”). Doublet of alif and aleph.

Synonyms

Gen Alpha Generation Alpha

Related words

alphabet

Derived words

Acrux alpha- alpha acid alpha-adrenergic blocking agent 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 chain disease 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 globin alpha helix alpha hinge alpha-hydroxy acid alpha-hydroxyprogesterone alpha iron 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-pinene alpha privative alpha privativum alphaprodine alpha protection

Translations

Arabic: أَلْفَا Armenian: ալֆա Asturian: alfa Belarusian: а́льфа Bulgarian: а́лфа Catalan: alfa Cherokee: ᎡᎵᏆ Chinese Cantonese: 阿爾法 /阿尔法 Chinese Cantonese: 阿伐 Chinese Cantonese: 阿拉法 Chinese Cantonese: 阿耳法 Hakka Chinese: 阿爾法 /阿尔法 Chinese Mandarin: 阿爾法 /阿尔法 Chinese Mandarin: 阿伐 Chinese Mandarin: 阿拉法 Chinese Mandarin: 阿耳法 Coptic: ⲁⲗⲫⲁ Czech: alfa Danish: alfa Dutch: alfa Esperanto: alfo Faroese: alfa Finnish: alfa French: alpha Galician: alfa Georgian: ალფა German: Alpha Greek: άλφα Ancient Greek: ἄλφα Hebrew: אַלְפָא Hindi: अल्फ़ा Hungarian: alfa Icelandic: alfa Ido: alfa Interlingua: alpha Irish: alfa Italian: alfa Japanese: アルファ Khmer: អាល់ហ្វា Korean: 알파 Latin: alpha Latvian: alfa Lithuanian: alfa Macedonian: алфа Malay: alfa Māori: ārepa
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