gamma male

English

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Noun

gamma male (plural gamma males)

1. A male that is third in a social hierarchy, beneath alpha and beta, but above delta.
   • 1996, William C. McGrew, William Clement McGrew, Linda F. Marchant, Great Ape Societies, page 132:

     The gamma male, Kalunde, displayed an opportunistic coalition tactic formerly called 'alliance fickleness,' in which the third party changes sides from moment to moment.

   • 2013, Leonard A. Rosenblum, Primate Behavior: Developments in Field and Laboratory Research, page 374:

     The beta male faces left; the gamma male begins to turn then looks skyward. The beta male looks away from the gamma. The gamma male looks to his right but turns away as soon as the beta male shifts positions.

   • 2014, Ken Yasukawa, Animal Behavior: How and Why Animals Do the Things They Do, page 110:

     I think the answer lies in the stringent hurdle raised by the change from status as a gamma male (gamma is the third letter in the Greek alphabet) to status as a beta male.

2. An average male in the socio-sexual hierarchy, ranking below alphas and betas, and relatively unambitious.
   • 2011, L Vaughan Spencer, Don't Be Needy Be Succeedy: The A to Zee of Motivitality©, page 97:

     The danger comes when a Gamma Male is taken by surprise and shunted into a position of LEADERSHIP (e.g. if he is tall) and has to pretend to be an Alpha.

   • 2012, James Craig, Never Apologise, Never Explain:

     That was what rankled as much as anything. Being treated like the hired help. A gamma male who had stumbled into an alpha world. One of the little people.

   • 2014, Soren Knox, On Causal Shores: Palimpsest Veil and Ananke Protocol, page 35:

     "I would advise you to be watchful," I said, without affect or pitch in my voice. “I am not some gamma male who thinks combat is a symposium or dissertation defense. […] "

Coordinate terms

• alpha female
• beta male
• delta male
• sigma male
• omega male