alpha

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See also: alfa, Alpha, and alpha-

English

Ancient Greek Alphabet
— →
beta
Α α
Ancient Greek: ἄλφα
Wikipedia article on alpha

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈælfə/, /ˈæɫ.fə/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

alpha (countable and uncountable, plural alphas)

  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
  3. (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.
  4. (finance) 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).
    • 2008, Faye Flam, The Score: How the Quest for Sex Has Shaped the Modern Man, Avery (2008), →ISBN, unnumbered page:
      Being a beta male in a species with alphas doesn't mean you have to sit out the mating game.
    • 2008, The New Black Lace Book of Women's Sexual Fantasies (ed. Mitzi Szereto), Black Lace (2008), →ISBN, page 38:
      I'm still turned on by alpha males. I think there are only a couple of other men that turn me on . . . ones that are clearly not alphas.
    • 2009, Martin G. Groder & Pat Webster, Winning at Love: The Alpha Male's Guide to Relationship Success, Bascom Hill Books (2009), →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.
  6. (informal, abbreviation) Alphabet.
  7. (software engineering) The first versions of a program, usually only available to the developer, and only tested by the developer.
  8. (computer graphics) The level of translucency of a color, as determined by the alpha channel.
  9. (statistics) The significance level of a statistical test; the alpha level.
  10. (fandom slang) In omegaverse fan fiction, a person of a sexually-dominant (and sometimes secondary) gender/sex that is 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 Fic: Why Fanfiction Is Taking Over the World (ed. Anne Jamison), 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 The Darker Side of Slash Fan Fiction (ed. Ashton Spacey), 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

Translations

name of the letter Ɑ, ɑ — see Latin alpha

See also

Adjective

alpha (not comparable)

  1. Designates the first in an order of precedence.
    I am the alpha male.
  2. (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.
  3. (astronomy) Designates some bright star, usually the brightest star, of a constellation.
    When space travel becomes feasible, I plan to visit Alpha Centauri.

Derived terms

Anagrams

French

Pronunciation

Noun

alpha m (plural alpha)

  1. alpha (Greek letter)

Further reading

Interlingua

Noun

alpha

  1. alpha

Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha).

Pronunciation

Noun

alpha n (indeclinable)

  1. alpha

References

  • “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.
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