Nearby Words
noun
1.
the first letter of the greek alphabet (A, α).
2.
the vowel sound represented by this letter.
3.
the first; beginning.
4.
(initial capital letter) Astronomy. used to designate the brightest star in a constellation.
5.
EXPANDChemistry. one of two or more isomeric compounds.
adjective
8.
a.
(especially of animals) having the highest rank of its sex in a dominance hierarchy: the alpha female.
b.
being the most prominent, talented, or aggressive person in a group: the alpha male of investment bankers.
9.
Chemistry. pertaining or linked to the carbon atom closest to a particular group in an organic molecule.
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Alphas
is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To alphas
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
alpha
from L. alpha, from Gk. alpha, from Heb. or Phoen. aleph (q.v.). The Greeks added -a because Gk. words cannot end in most consonants. Sense of "beginning of anything" is from late 14c.; that of "first in a sequence" is from 1620s. Alpha male was in use by c.1960 among scientists
EXPANDstudying animals; applied to humans in society from c.1992.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
alpha al·pha (āl'fə)
n.
Symbol α The first letter of the Greek alphabet.The first one in a series; the beginning.
The first position from a designated carbon atom in an organic molecule at which an atom or radical group may be substituted.
Characterizing the atom or radical group that is closest to the functional group of atoms in an organic molecule.
Relating to one of two or more closely related substances, as in stereoisomers.
Relating to or characterizing a polypeptide chain that is one of five types of heavy chains present in immunoglobins.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
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