alpha
(ˈælfə)
In technical, as in general, contexts frequently written α.
[a. L. alpha, a. Gr. ἄλϕα name of the first letter α; ad. Heb. or Phœnician āleph, meaning ‘ox’ or ‘leader,’ name of the first letter of the Phœnician and Hebrew alphabet, orig. formed from the hieroglyph of an ox's head.]
1. Name of the letter α, α, in the Greek alphabet.
| 1626 Cockeram, Alpha, the first letter of the Greekes. 1751 Chambers Cycl. s.v., The Greek alpha answers to what in English we call simply A. |
2. Hence, The beginning; esp. in phr. alpha and omega, ‘the beginning and the end,’ originally of the divine Being.
| 1382 Wyclif Rev. i. 8, I am alpha and oo, the bigynnyng and endyng, seith the Lord God. 1526 Tindale ibid., I am Alpha and Omega. [So 1582 Rhem. and 1611.] 1633 Cowley Piramus & Thisbe Ded., But if you smile, if in your gracious Eye She an auspicious Alpha can descry. 1830 Sir J. Herschel Stud. Nat. Phil. 114 The alpha and omega of science. 1865 Carlyle Fredk. Gt. VIII. xix. v. 183 This Siege of Dresden is the alpha to whatever omegas there may be. |
3. Used also to indicate the first in numerical sequence. esp. a. Astr. The chief star in a constellation, the letters of the Greek alphabet being used for the first 24 stars in succession. b. Chem. The first of two or more isomerous modifications of the same organic compound. c. The first subspecies or permanent variety of a species in Nat. Hist.
| 1626 Cockeram Alpha..also used for the first or chiefe in a thing. 1751 Chambers Cycl., Alpha is also used as a letter of order, to denote the first. 1863 Watts Fownes' Chem. (1877) II. 578 The α-acid is converted by heat into the β-acid. 1869 Dunkin Midn. Sky 123 A line drawn through these three stars leads..nearly to Alpha and Beta Capricorni. 1880 R. J. Friswell in Jrnl. Soc. Arts 16 Apr. 445 The sulphonic acid of alpha naphthol. |
d. Metallurgy. (a) Applied to the first of a series of allotropic forms of a metal, as alpha iron. (b) Applied to a solid solution in a range of alloys, as alpha brass, the first of a series of alloys of copper and brass: that in which there is the highest proportion of copper.
| 1885 Jrnl. Iron & Steel Inst. ii. 618 The author [Osmond] believes..that there are two..varieties of iron, α and β. The crystalline iron α is obtained by tempering at a red heat, followed by a slow cooling. This is transformed into the β variety (which the structure of tempered steel shows to be amorphous) either by a permanent alteration at a low temperature, or by rapid cooling from a red heat..in the presence of carbon, or some other body (manganese, tungsten) exercising the same influence on the..steel. 1902 Encycl. Brit. XXIX. 572/2 We must recognize the further complication in the constitution of iron, due to its having at least three distinct allotropic modifications, α, β, and γ, each corresponding to a distinct range of temperature. α iron is the weak, ductile, magnetic variety.., β iron is the non-magnetic variety, [etc.]. 1914 W. Rosenhain Physical Metallurgy viii. 167 Iron is capable of existing in at least three diverse or ‘allotropic’ conditions. These are generally known as the γ, β and α forms of iron. 1957 Encycl. Brit. XII. 669/2 Pure iron or ferrite at room temperature consists of tiny crystals of so-called alpha iron, crystallized in body centred arrangement. |
| 1904 Heycock & Neville in Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A. CCII. 9 Crystals of five different types, which we designate α, β, γ, δ, η... The α crystals are solid solutions, apparently isomorphous with pure copper. They may contain any percentage of tin not greater than 9 per cent. The β crystals are also solid solutions, perhaps isomorphous with the α. 1919 Jrnl. Inst. Metals XXII. 370 (heading) Thermal expansion of Alpha and Beta Brass between 0° and 600° C. 1923 Glazebrook Dict. Appl. Physics V. 223/1 As the α solution becomes more and more saturated the tensile strength of the alloys increases... The αβ alloys cannot be worked cold, but are always rolled, or extruded, hot. |
e. Physics. alpha radiation, the first of three types of radiation emitted by radio-active substances, and consisting of positively charged particles. So alpha particle (identified with the helium nucleus: see quot. 1908), alpha ray.
| 1899, 1902 [see beta 2 f]. 1903 Rutherford in Phil. Mag. V. 184 The α rays are complex, and probably consist of particles projected with velocities lying between certain limits. 1903 ― in Nature 20 Aug. 366/2 The determination of the mass of the α body..supports the view that the α particle is in reality helium. 1908 ― & Geiger in Proc. R. Soc. A. LXXXI. 172 We may conclude that an α-particle is a helium atom, or, to be more precise, the α-particle, after it has lost its positive charge, is a helium atom. 1925 F. Soddy in Evol. Light Mod. Knowl. x. 371 The radiant α- and β-particles expelled by the radio-elements. 1938 R. Lawson tr. Hevesy & Paneth's Man. Radioactivity (ed. 2) ix. 94 The α-particle..a kind of ‘molecule’ of the ‘nuclear atoms’ possessing especial stability, and arising from the union of 2 protons and 2 neutrons. |
Hence ellipt. for alpha particles in alpha decay, alpha emission, alpha emitter; alpha-emitting adj.
| 1936 Physical Rev. L. 977 The radioactive α-decay is discussed as a many-body problem. Ibid., The probability of α-emission consists therefore of two parts. 1937 Ibid. LI. 818/2 Possible evidence for the existence of a new alpha-emitting isotope of uranium. 1949 W. E. Siri Isotopic Tracers & Nucl. Radiations iv. 95 It is assumed that the nuclear radius is nearly constant for all alpha emitters. 1962 Newnes Conc. Encycl. Nucl. Energy 25/1 Spontaneous α-emission takes place with many of the nuclei heavier than lead, each species decaying with its characteristic half-life. |
f. alpha rhythm, alpha waves, the normal rhythmic activity of the brain recorded in an electroencephalogram, having a frequency of eight to thirteen cycles per second.
| [1930 H. Berger in Jrnl. f. Psychologie & Neurol. XL. 162 Der Kürze halber werde ich im folgenden die Welle erster Ordnung als Alphawellen = α-W., die Wellen zweiter Ordnung als Betawellen = β-W., bezeichnen.] 1935 [see beta 2 h]. 1936 Archives Neurol. & Psychiatry XXXVI. 1215 Most prominent is a rhythm of approximately 10 a second..variously known as the ‘Berger rhythm’, the ‘alpha waves’ or the ‘10 cycle rhythm’. Ibid. 1220 There is a group of persons in whom the alpha rhythm is rarely visible in the spontaneous record, although it may usually be found for a second or two shortly after the subject has closed his eyes. 1941 P. Bard Macleod's Physiol. in Mod. Med. xix. 238 The most prominent rhythm is one which ranges from 8 to 13 and averages 10 waves a second. This is sometimes called the ‘Berger rhythm’, but has more generally come to be known as the alpha rhythm. |
4. a. An examiner's first-class mark. Also transf. and in fig. use, first-class, excellent.
| 1902 S. T. in Oxford Mag. 22 Jan., And what I deemed an α rules (Like markets) flat as β+. 1907 A. D. Godley Ibid. 23 Jan., One who to all Experience gave An Alpha or Epsilon. 1923 Times Lit. Suppl. 25 Oct., The critic (who can hardly help feeling on this occasion like an examiner with prize competition papers before him) must give the alpha here to Mr. Sichel. 1929 Ibid. 2 May, Nor can we give an alpha mark to [etc.]. 1958 Oxf. Mag. 13 Mar. 361/1 Is there now a painter of Oxford portraits as good as Richmond was?.. Gunn has at Trinity a colossal Lord Chief Justice Goddard..at L. M. H. he has an alpha picture of Miss Grier, true, affectionate and discerning, and wonderfully painted. 1962 C. S. Lewis Let. 10 Aug. (1966) 305 Yes, I..have read Gombrich and give him alpha with as many plusses as you please. 1966 [see sense b below]. 1980 Nature 24 Apr. 653/1 Britain's Science Research Council has been forced to reject {pstlg}2.2 million worth of ‘alpha’ quality applications for university research, a spokesman said last week. |
b. alpha minus, a mark approaching (or in the lower range of) first-class; alpha plus, an excellent mark; one in the higher range of first-class. Freq. fig. (also as adj. phr.), nearly (or superlatively) excellent or first-rate. Cf. minus 2 a, plus 1 c.
| 1903 E. Thomas Oxford iv. 107 He will be frivolous to the extent of remarking, about a pretty face, ‘Oh, she is alpha plus!’ a 1930 [see plus 1 c]. 1940 H. Nicolson Let. 11 July (1967) 101 He is seeing the Alpha Plus people all day and I am seeing the Beta Plus people whom he throws on to me. 1958 Listener 12 June 987/2 On the literary side, The Sweeniad rates only an alpha minus: pleasant light reading, nothing more. 1966 ‘W. Cooper’ Mem. New Man i. iv. 43 He's got edge, and flair—alpha quality for certain. And if he has luck he may turn out alpha plus. |
______________________________
Add: [3.] g. alpha test, a test of machinery, software, etc. in course of development, carried out in-house by the developer before the product is made available for beta testing (see *beta n. 2 j); so alpha testing, etc.; alpha-test v. trans., alpha-tester.
| 1982 Computerworld 4 Jan. 33/2 He expects the word processing giant to have a voice/data PBX alpha test site by the end of next year. 1982 Alpha-tester [see beta n. 2 j]. 1982 Computerworld 19 Apr. 47/1 Look currently is in alpha testing and is expected to complete beta testing and be available in the second quarter of 1982. 1983 Byte June 92/2 The proprietary operating system and applications software begin alpha tests at Gavilan in August and beta tests by selected outside users in September. 1986 Computerworld 13 Jan. 8/2 The network has been alpha tested at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh. 1987 Network World 16 Mar. 39 Northern Telecom is currently alpha testing a network management system called the NM-1. 1989 InfoWorld 23 Oct. 110/4 Apple set Hypercard 2.0 into alpha test right before the quake, making a spring intro likely. |
______________________________
▸ Chiefly Animal Behaviour. The dominant animal, esp. within a single-sex group. In extended use (sometimes with humorous or depreciative connotations): a person tending to assume a dominant role in social or professional situations, or thought to possess the qualities and confidence for leadership. Freq. attrib. Cf. alpha male n. at Additions.
| 1948 Physiol. Zool. 21 4/1 A rigorously linear hierarchy often results from all the possible contacts between the inhabitants of the same nest..: α>β, γ,{ddd}ω. 1948 Physiol. Zool. 21 5/2 The successive deaths of several wasps..can determine the acquisition of the α-status by one of the last partners. 1966 R. Ardrey Territorial Imperative iii. 107 Fish..continue their struggles to dominate one another. ‘Alpha fish’ is the term used by the new biology to describe the winner of such a competition. 1984 C. Wilson Lord of Underworld i. 17 He was undoubtedly what zoologists call an alpha, a highly dominant individual. 1993 E. M. Thomas Hidden Life of Dogs 83 Maria, who as alpha female should by dog rules have been the only dog pregnant, was not pregnant at all. 2002 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 27 Feb. a25/1 Alpha girls ruthlessly rule junior high school.., with cold shoulders, hot clothes and withering looks known as ‘deaths’. |
______________________________
▸ alpha geek n. slang (orig. and chiefly U.S.) a person regarded as being very knowledgeable about computers and related technology; esp. the most knowledgeable such person in a given environment; cf. geek n. 1c.
| 1993Re: Looking for a Good Cyber Game in rec.games.frp.cyber (Usenet newsgroup) 25 Aug. The characters who follow the Cyberspunk dogma come across as screaming *Alpha geeks. 1996 Rolling Stone 4 Apr. 51/1 Some 80,000 developers, industry executives and alpha geeks gathered..to..celebrate the glory of Apple. 2000 Jakarta Post (Indonesia) (Electronic ed.) 18 Feb. The room was filled with alpha geeks showing off their toys... These guys..can..trouble-shoot any computer errors, fix any kind of electronic hardware..and have boatloads of money. |
______________________________
▸ alpha male n. Animal Behaviour the dominant male animal in a single-sex social group; (in extended use, sometimes with humorous or depreciative connotations) a man tending to assume a dominant or domineering role in social or professional situations, or thought to possess the qualities and confidence for leadership.
| 1954 Science 5 June 1179 Such an animal is definitely an *alpha male in the dominance hierarchy. 1977 S. Marshak & M. Culbreath Price of Phoenix i. 8 He's—an alpha male. You know the idea of ranking the dominant males in a primate group alpha, beta, gamma. 1993 Dog World Oct. 48/2 Finally, he almost killed the alpha male Diamond. 1995 Esquire Oct. 75 An alpha male in progress, he embodied for me a protoversion of masculinity that complimented the über model of my father—a tough, ambitious, but deskbound federal prosecutor. 2000 New Republic 14 Feb. 19/1 They haven't really shown themselves to be alpha male candidates until they've shown they can sink their teeth into somebody's hindquarters. |