ALPHA

Pronunciation (US):

• ALPHA (noun)
  The noun ALPHA has 2 senses:

1. the 1st letter of the Greek alphabet
2. the beginning of a series or sequence

  Familiarity information: ALPHA used as a noun is rare.

• ALPHA (adjective)
  The adjective ALPHA has 2 senses:

1. first in order of importance
2. early testing stage of a software or hardware product

  Familiarity information: ALPHA used as an adjective is rare.

• ALPHA (noun)

Meaning:

The 1st letter of the Greek alphabet

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("alpha" is a kind of...):

alphabetic character; letter; letter of the alphabet (the conventional characters of the alphabet used to represent speech)

Holonyms ("alpha" is a member of...):

Greek alphabet (the alphabet used by ancient Greeks)

Meaning:

The beginning of a series or sequence

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Context example:

the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end

Hypernyms ("alpha" is a kind of...):

start (the beginning of anything)

• ALPHA (adjective)

Meaning:

First in order of importance

Context examples:

the alpha male in the group of chimpanzees / the alpha star in a constellation is the brightest or main star

Similar:

important; of import (of great significance or value)

Meaning:

Early testing stage of a software or hardware product

Context example:

alpha version

Similar:

explorative; exploratory (serving in or intended for exploration or discovery)