alphan.adj.
/ˈalfə/, U.S. /ˈælfə/ A. n.
1. (The name of) the first letter (Α, α) of the Greek alphabet.In transliterating ancient Greek, usually rendered as a.See also alpha privative n. at privative adj. 2.
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society > communication > writing > written character > name of written character > [noun] > Greek
alphac1175
muc1175
betaa1400
taua1400
chic1400
deltac1400
etac1400
kappac1400
gamma?a1425
lambda?a1425
nu?a1425
phi?a1425
pi?a1425
psi?a1425
rho?a1425
xi?a1425
zeta?a1425
upsilon1559
san1584
omega1599
theta1603
iota1607
sigma1607
omicron1631
digamma1699
epsilon1842
zeta1850
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) 16415 Norrþ dale off all þiss werelld iss Arrctoss bi name nemmnedd, & off þatt name toc drihhtin An staff allfa ȝehatenn.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Trin. Cambr.) l. 12199 (MED) Þe lettres fro alpha to tayu Wiþ dyuerse siȝte may men sew.
?a1425 Mandeville's Trav. (Egerton) (1889) 11 If ȝe wil wit of þe abce of Grew and what kyn letters þai hafe, here ȝe may see þam and þer names also: alpha α, beta β, [etc.].
a1504 J. Holt Lac Puerorum (1508) sig. A.ivv As for alpha and iota and generally all names of letters they be both neutre and vndeclyned.
1588 A. Fraunce Lawiers Logike i. xxii. f. 77v Although Alpha and Beta seeme neighboures in the Greeke Alphabet, yet they are nothing equall in signification.
1623 H. Cockeram Eng. Dict. Alpha, the first letter of the Greekes.
1696 W. T. Lily, Improved 65 The Names of Letters; as, Alpha, Beta, &c.
1738 E. Chambers Cycl. (ed. 2) (at cited word) The Greek Alpha answers to what in English we call simply A.
1790 A. Bicknell Grammatical Wreath ii. 11 The little system of these [letters] is called the Alphabet, from the two first letters of the Greek, Alpha and Beta.
1842 T. De Quincey Philos. Herodotus in Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Jan. 9/1 Herodotus, even whilst Ionicising..had yet spelt a particular name with the alpha and not with the eta.
1897 H. A. Howe Elem. Descriptive Astron. xii. 229 The general plan is to call the brightest star in a given constellation by the Greek letter Alpha, the next brightest being Beta, and so on.
1938 R. P. Austin Stoichedon Style in Greek Inscriptions iii. 21 The alpha below them was engraved with a vertical left hasta instead of a normal oblique one.
1994 Historia 43 37 Texts with admixed bowed- and broken-barred alphas.
2011 W. D. Mounce Biblical Greek 146 The alpha lengthens to eta, a mu is inserted, and the beta joins with the sigma of the tense formative to form psi.
2. The first of a series; the beginning; a principal or key element of something. Chiefly contrasted with omega n. 1. alpha and omega n. (also †alpha and oo) the beginning and the end, originally as a title of God or Christ (see quots. c1384 and 1526); the whole being or essence of a person or thing.
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the world > relative properties > order > order, sequence, or succession > beginning > [noun]
ordeOE
thresholdeOE
frumthc950
anginOE
frumeOE
worthOE
beginninga1225
springc1225
springc1225
commencementc1250
ginninga1300
comsingc1325
entryc1330
aginning1340
alphac1384
incomea1400
formec1400
ingressc1420
birtha1425
principlea1449
comsementa1450
resultancec1450
inition1463
inceptiona1483
entering1526
originala1529
inchoation1530
opening1531
starting1541
principium1550
entrance1553
onset1561
rise1589
begin1590
ingate1591
overture1595
budding1601
initiationa1607
starting off1616
dawninga1631
dawn1633
impriminga1639
start1644
fall1647
initial1656
outset1664
outsettinga1698
going off1714
offsetting1782
offset1791
commence1794
aurora1806
incipiency1817
set-out1821
set-in1826
throw-off1828
go-off1830
outstart1844
start1857
incipience1864
oncome1865
kick-off1875
off-go1886
off1896
get-go1960
lift-off1967
the world > relative properties > wholeness > the whole or all > [noun]
everydeala1300
universityc1384
universal?c1400
the whole ofc1450
alpha and omega1526
entire1597
be-alla1616
all1619
totalitya1631
all-hood1722
entirety1856
totalnessc1864
the world > relative properties > order > order, sequence, or succession > preceding or following in order > [noun] > preceding in order > first of a series > letter denoting
alpha1626
OE Byrhtferð Enchiridion (Ashm.) (1995) iv. i. 196 ‘Ego sum [authorial gloss ic eom] alpha et o’—alpha, Deus ante secula; [in margin ω], Deus et homo in fine seculorum [authorial gloss God ær worulde and man on ende worulde].]
c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Royal) (1850) Apoc. i. 8 I am alpha and oo [L. Alpha et Omega], the bigynnyng and endyng, seith the Lord God.
a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add.) f. 328 So alpha [L. alpha] is y write for designacioun of lettres, for among þe grees þis lettre tokneþ oon.
?a1475 Lessons of Dirige (Douce) l. 525 in J. Kail 26 Polit. Poems (1904) 138 (MED) O thow grete lord, alpha and oo!
?a1500 in C. Brown Relig. Lyrics 15th Cent. (1939) 90 (MED) Alpha and Oo, both end & begynnyng..We the besiche, lord.
1526 Bible (Tyndale) Rev. i. 8 I am Alpha and Omega [so 1582 Rhem. and 1611 the fyrst and the laste.]
1626 H. Cockeram Eng. Dict. (ed. 2) Alpha,..also for the first or chiefe in a thing.
1633 A. Cowley Piramus & Thisbe Ded. But if you smile, if in your gracious Eye She an auspicious Alpha can descry.
1696 J. Edwards Demonstr. Existence God iv. 75 The Air or Breath by which we breath is our Alpha and Omega.
1728 E. Chambers Cycl. (at cited word) Alpha..was also used as a Letter of Order, to denote the first.
1747 C. Wesley Hymns Redempt. (ed. 2) 13 Alpha and Omega be.
1795 S. T. Coleridge Coll. Lett. (1956) I. 163 For the Sum Total of my Misbehaviour, the Alpha and Omega of their Accusations, is Epistolary Neglect.
1830 J. F. W. Herschel Prelim. Disc. Study Nat. Philos. 114 The alpha and omega of science.
1865 T. Carlyle Hist. Friedrich II of Prussia V. xix. v. 510 This Siege of Dresden is the alpha to whatever omegas there may be.
1876 C. Sotheran P. B. Shelley as Philosopher & Reformer 7 [Hume's] essay on ‘Miracles’..was one of the alphas of his creed.
1919 F. Sullivan Will of People v. 43 He realizes that the alpha of his calling is not to offend the susceptibilities of either the ignorant or the learned.
1929 D. G. Mackail How Amusing! 307 I was a gentleman..from alpha to omega.
1978 D. Quinn Fear of God ii. 161 Vast explosions of silence..marching..from Alpha to Omega and..beyond the infinite.
2000 Scotsman (Electronic ed.) 26 Aug. As..his autobiography makes clear, mountaineering seems to be his alpha and omega.
3. The first in an ordered sequence.
a. Astronomy. Used in the name of the principal star (often but not always the brightest) in a constellation. Usually with following Latin genitive of the constellation name. Usually written α.The practice of using Greek letters to designate the stars in a constellation was introduced in J. Bayer Uranometria (1603).
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1744 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 43 91 It [sc. the comet] formed, at that time, an obtuse-angled Triangle, with (α) of Andromeda, and (γ) Pegasi, the Comet being at the obtuse Angle.
1770 Philos. Trans. 1769 (Royal Soc.) 59 477 (table) 1769... 8 Feb.... α orionis on the meridian.
1839 Penny Cycl. XIV. 225/2 Its brightest star, α Lyræ, also called Vega, is a conspicuous object.
1869 E. Dunkin Midnight Sky 123 A line drawn through these three stars leads..nearly to Alpha and Beta Capricorni.
1903 C. A. Young Lessons Astron. (rev. ed.) ii. 59 Capricornus... It has no bright stars, but the configuration formed by the two Alphas..with each other and with Beta, 3° south, is characteristic.
1942 J. G. Inglis & W. Peck Southern Hemisphere Constellations (ed. 3) 25 In 1925, a new star appeared near α of the faint constellation Pictor.
?a1965 S. E. Whitfield & G. Roddenberry Making of ‘Star Trek’ (1968) i. i. 24 You will patrol the Ninth Quadrant, beginning with Alpha Centauri.
2009 Daily Tel. 6 Apr. 30/8 The crown of the North Star..will then be worn by Alderamin, or Alpha Cephei, that lies in another of the constellations that for ever swings round the pole.
b. Botany and Zoology. The first or most typical of a number of subspecies or varieties of a species. Now historical.
ΚΠ
1822 J. C. Loudon Encycl. Gardening i. 137 The varieties of a species, are generally, for distinction sake, designated by the letters of the Greek alphabet, thus: Brassica oleracea, α. Capitata. β. Rubra. γ. Sabauda. δ. Sabellica, &c.
1893 H. Trimen Hand-bk. Flora Ceylon I. 81 Vars. α and β in the low country, var. γ on the montane patanas.
1902–3 Trans. Entomol. Soc. 1902 159 Acrida sanguinosa, Sauss... Var. α.
1948 Brittonia 6 332 At first it became quite the custom to letter the species proper, as some would term it, with the Greek letter alpha... Later, as names came to be demanded for all taxonomic entities, the ‘β’ and subsequent varieties of numerous species were formally named, but the ‘α’ variety was treated divergently by different monographers, students of floristics, etc.
4. Chiefly British. An examiner's or teacher's first-class mark. Also in extended use. Cf. A n. 2e.Sometimes with a following modifying word or phrase, indicating relative position within the (notional) first class; see also alpha plus n. and adj., alpha minus n. and adj. at Compounds 1.
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society > education > educational administration > examination > [noun] > marks > specific marks
accessit1753
honour1774
credit1802
second class1810
firsta1830
first class1830
third class1844
Hons.1850
max1851
second1852
special mention1886
distinction?1890
A1892
E1892
pass mark1894
two-two1895
alpha1898
alpha plus1898
gamma1898
beta1902
delta1911
alpha minus1914
fourth1914
straight A1926
two-one1937
lower second1960
honourable mention2011
1898 J. Sargeaunt Ann. Westm. School vii. 126 Had Busby been alive he might have whipped his scholars for their blunders, but would have marked their astuteness with an ‘alpha’.
1902 S. T. in Oxf. Mag. 22 Jan. And what I deemed an α rules (Like markets) flat as β+.
1907 A. D. Godley in Oxf. Mag. 23 Jan. One who to all Experience gave An Alpha or Epsilon.
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.
1981 Times Lit. Suppl. 17 Apr. 436/2 I can give him [sc. John Fowles] a mark of only alpha-double-minus stroke beta-plus.
1998 P. Y. Shuk-Siu Seventh Child & Law i. xxi. 108 I had scored an alpha in Political Institutions,..and a beta in each of the remaining papers other than Philosophy.
5. Physics. An alpha particle. Frequently attributive, as alpha decay, alpha emission, alpha emitter; alpha-emitting adj. Cf. earlier alpha radiation n., alpha ray n. at Compounds 2b.
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1931 Science 13 Nov. 492/1 In beta decay the nucleus not only loses an electron, but also the valence shell gains an electron, while in alpha decay, both nucleus and valence shell lose a pair of electrons each.
1937 Physical Rev. 51 818/2 Possible evidence for the existence of a new alpha-emitting isotope of uranium.
1948 H. L. Anderson Neutrons from Alpha Emitters 13 They give 4.6 neutrons per 106 alphas of energy 9 Mev on a thick boron target.
1962 Newnes Conc. Encycl. Nucl. Energy 25/1 Spontaneous α-emission takes place with many of the nuclei heavier than lead.
1978 G. C. Hill & J. S. Holman Chem. in Context vi. 67 Alpha-decay is common to most of the radioactive isotopes of elements with atomic number greater than 82 (lead).
1989 C. Caufield Multiple Exposures (1990) vi. 52 Plutonium can only be detected by its alpha activity, and there were very few alpha monitors in existence in 1944.
2002 F. Close et al. Particle Odyssey ii. 28 (caption) The majority of alphas from a source of thorium C′ (polonium-212) travel 8.6 cm in a cloud chamber.
2006 N.Y. Times 19 Dec. (Washington Final ed.) a31/2 Dirty bombs based on gamma emitters, analysts have learned, can't kill very many people... ‘Smoky bombs’ based on alpha emitters very well could.
6. Originally and chiefly Zoology. The dominant animal or person in a group or community, esp. a single-sex group. Cf. sense B. 7 and alpha male n. at Compounds 2a.
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1947 Physiol. Zool. 20 281/2 The alphas, when placed in strange aquaria, at first did not resist attack.
1970 Life 11 Sept. 56 c/2 The most powerful alphas..each took possession of an end pen.
1984 C. Wilson Lord of Underworld i. 17 He was undoubtedly what zoologists call an alpha, a highly dominant individual.
1992 Esquire July 110/2 When you go out with an alpha, they think they're screwing you; they think the guy is a piece of ass.
1993 Dog World Feb. 12/3 Very early in life Nancy's dogs come to understand that the alpha is always alpha, and the alpha in their pack is none other than Nancy.
2010 M. Acevedo Werewolf Smackdown xxxiv. 162 With so many werewolves coming into the city, the pack alphas called for a parley.
7. Usually with capital initial. A code word representing the letter A, used esp. in two-way radio communication to identify a vehicle, aircraft, etc. [Compare earlier ack n., able n.]
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1951 Sunday Times Signal (Zanesville, Ohio) 23 Dec. ii. 4/4 For purposes of comparison, the standard phonetic alphabet and the new one adopted by ICAO are reproduced below: A..Old..Able... New..Alfa.
1966 D. Francis Flying Finish ii. 26 ‘Port Ellen tower this is Golf Alpha Romeo Kilo November, do you read?’
1986 W. J. Burley Wycliffe & Quiet Virgin v. 80 Inside the van the radio crackled in staccato outbursts: ‘Alpha one-four to Alpha Victor.’
1991 Viz Dec. 38/1 Tango alpha victor foxtrot. We have a report of a ramraid in progress.
2002 H. Steel Food Soldier vii. 177 When calling any air traffic facility you identified the aircraft type and number.., saying: ‘Cessna, Hotel Romeo-Alpha Alpha Charley.’
8. Computing. Short for alpha test, alpha testing. Frequently attributive. Cf. alpha test n. 3.
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1983 Re: New Assembler Wanted in net.micro.pc (Usenet newsgroup) 23 Sept. I have an alpha version of the latest MS-DOS 2.0, which is quite different from PC-DOS 2.0.
1995 Network World 17 July 49/3 I saw the product when it was in alpha about two years ago, and I was stunned.
2001 Computerworld 28 May 8/4 The alpha version of Microsoft's entry-level tool, Visual Studio.Net Professional Edition, has been available since November.
2011 Guardian Unlimited (Nexis) 11 Aug. UptapTV has an iPhone app in alpha.
9. Christian Church (originally British). Short for Alpha course n. at Compounds 1; (also) this as a religious phenomenon, experience, or movement.
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1996 Independent 23 Mar. 19/4 Alpha is a course for modern..people. It is taken in groups over a 10-week period, and includes a residential weekend.
1997 Tablet 17 May 624 (heading) Alpha is only a start.
1999 Alpha News July–Oct. 7/2 Alpha is a wonderful way to lead people..to a personal encounter..with the living Jesus Christ.
2004 D. Garrison Church Planting Movements ix. 153 The primary users of the Alpha program continue to be conventional churches.
2008 T. K. Baucum Evangelical Hospitality i. 8 I also discovered, to my delight, that Alpha is a congregationally led and hospitality-based form of evangelism.
B. adj. (usually attributive).
I. Chiefly in scientific and technical contexts: that is the first of a series of two or more related things designated with Greek letters.
1. Chemistry.
a. Designating the first of two or more structurally similar or chemically related compounds.
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1834 J. D. Morries in G. Graves Hortus Medicus 151 According to Unverdorben, common turpentine, or that obtained from the P. abies and sylvestris, is composed of volatile oil and two resins, to which latter he has given the names of Pinic, and Sylvic acids, but which Berzelius distinguishes from each other by calling the one ‘Resin alpha’, and the other ‘Resin bêta’.
1842 T. Graham Elements Chem. iii. vii. 922 Dr. Kane finds the orcein of archil to be often a mixture of two substances, differing in their proportion with the age of the archil, which he names alpha-orcein and beta-orcein; the last is produced by the oxidation of the first.
1860 Proc. Royal Soc. 1859–60 10 589 Nitrophenylamine, when prepared from dinitrobenzol..differs in so many respects from the isomeric base which is obtained from phenyl-compounds..that chemists have distinguished these two bodies as alpha- and beta-nitrophenylamine.
1912 H. P. Cady Inorg. Chem. xxvi. 509 Two stannic hydroxides are known, each of which behaves as an acid... To distinguish them, one is called alpha and the other beta stannic acid.
1955 Sci. News Let. 25 June 403/2 The Berkeley scientists call the larger molecule alpha-corticotropin (molecular weight 4500) and the smaller one, with 28 molecules, beta-corticotropin (molecular weight 3000).
2008 R. Simantov et al. in S. H. Snyder Sci. & Psychiatry 91 Radioimmunoassay has shown that rat brain levels of α-endorphin and β-endorphin are lower than those of the enkephalins.
b. Designating the first carbon atom attached to the main functional group of an organic compound; of or relating to chemical reactions occurring at this atom. Also: designating an atom or functional group attached to the alpha carbon atom; (in the names of chemical compounds) having an additional distinguishing functional group attached to the alpha carbon.In naphthalene ring compounds, denoting any of the four carbon atoms adjacent to the point of fusion of the two benzene rings.
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1877 H. Watts Fownes's Man. Elem. Chem. (ed. 12) II. 575 There will be two modifications of each mono-derivative of naphthalene... Those modifications in which the substituted radicles [sic] occupies the place 1 (= 4, 5, or 8), are called α-derivatives; those in which it is placed at 2, 3, 6, or 7 are called β-derivatives.
1880 R. J. Friswell in Jrnl. Soc. Arts 16 Apr. 445 The sulphonic acid of alpha naphthol.
1899 A. Lachman Spirit of Org. Chem. 17 In Perkin's synthesis it is the alpha carbon atom which reacts with the aldehyde.
1924 Proc. National Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 10 364 The alpha-methyl derivative of beta-benzoylacrylic acid does not give a Pechmann dye.
1953 U.S. Patent 2,636,883 3 Alpha-substitution of the acyl group predominates.
1972 Materials & Technol. V. 302 Fatty acids can be sulphonated at the alpha carbon atom.
1995 Life Sci. 57 2251 Serum albumin was increased by the oral administration of alpha-pentyl-alanine.
2010 J. A. Joule & K. Mills Heterocyclic Chem. (ed. 5) viii. 134 It is possible to replace α-chlorine with bromine or iodine by reaction with the halotrimethylsilane.
c. Designating one of the two isomeric forms of an anomer; of or relating to an isomer of this type.In the alpha form, the configurations of the anomeric carbon and of another reference atom in the same molecule are different; in the beta form, they are the same.
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1914 Pharm. Era May 213/2 A new phytosteroline, the alpha-glucoside of a sitosterol, was also found.
1932 Proc. Royal Soc. B. 111 293 In the case of yeast maltase, A must be α-d-glucopyranose, B being any one of a large number of alcohols.
1942 Jrnl. Chem. Physics 10 177/1 We are reporting the Raman spectra of α- and β-d-glucose in the solid state.
1988 Canad. Jrnl. Chem. 66 2787 Eight novel oligoglycosides..have been isolated from the bulbs of Muscari armeniacum and Muscari botryoides... The monose units of their di-, tri-, tetra-, or hexasaccharide chain are beta- d-glucopyranose, alpha- l-arabinopyranose, [etc.].
2008 Tetrahedron 64 7386 The syntheses of betulin and betulinic acid O-glycoside analogues containing an α- l-arabinose moiety are also reported.
2. Metallurgy.
a. Designating the first of a series of allotropes, as alpha iron.
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society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > metal > metal in specific state or form > [adjective] > first allotropic form
alpha1848
1848 D. P. Gardner Med. Chem. Use of Students 130 The difference of properties can only be attributed to the presence of the elements in different allotropic states... A new nomenclature, with appropriate symbols, has, therefore, been recommended. The active phase has been designated the alpha (α) state, and, other phases, beta (β), gamma (γ), &c.
1868 J. D. Dana Syst. Mineral. (ed. 5) Introd. p. xv These different states of elements are best designated in the symbol by the letters of the Greek alphabet, as thus the confusion arising from the conflicting numbers for atomic weights and combining relations are avoided..αRO 3 βRO 2 γRO [etc.].
1911 L. T. O'Shea Elem. Chem. Coal-mining Students vi. 99 The chief of these modifications are (1) rhombic or alpha sulphur, (2) prismatic or beta sulphur, (3) plastic or gamma sulphur.
1935 C. J. Smith Intermediate Physics (ed. 2) v. l. 859 At temperatures below this point iron exists as α-iron, the atoms being arranged at the corners of cubes with other atoms at their centres.
1971 R. P. Schuman Radiochemistry Manganese (rev. ed.) iii. 15 Gamma manganese..can be rolled into foils before it slowly converts into the stable alpha form.
2007 Z. Goffer Archaeol. Chem. 184 Below −18°C tin is converted to a gray powdery allotrope, known as alpha tin.
b. Designating an alloy with the percentage of a particular metal in a certain range, as alpha brass, alpha bronze.Alpha brass is copper containing less than about 38 per cent of zinc; alpha bronze is copper containing 4–5 per cent of tin.
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1904 C. T. Heycock & F. H. Neville in Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) A. 202 9 Crystals of five different types, which we designate α, β, γ, δ, η... The α crystals are solid solutions [of a copper–tin alloy], apparently isomorphous with pure copper. They may contain any percentage of tin not greater than 9 per cent.
1912 Trans. Amer. Electrochem. Soc. 21 268 Its tensile strength was very much too low for unannealed alpha brass.
1923 R. Glazebrook Dict. Appl. Physics V. 223/1 As the α solution becomes more and more saturated the tensile strength of the alloys increases.
1977 B. F. Brown et al. Corrosion & Metal Artifacts 204 The eutectic (tin-rich phase) has been converted to a black product leaving dendrites of alpha bronze (copper-rich phase) unattacked.
2010 M. Ashby et al. Materials (ed. 2) 507 A 1.5 kg sample of α-brass contains 0.45 kg of Zn, and the rest is Cu.
3. Physiology.
a. Designating a pattern of electrical activity in the brain characterized by regular waves having a frequency of eight to thirteen cycles per second, typically occurring in an awake but relaxed individual whose eyes are closed. Esp. in alpha rhythm, alpha wave. Cf. beta n. 2h.
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the world > life > the body > nervous system > cerebrospinal axis > brain > [noun] > action of
alpha rhythm1935
1935 Science 11 Jan. 51/2 Dr. Berger has shown in these experiments that the alpha waves diminish in magnitude under certain types of anesthesia, during an epileptic seizure and, it may seem at first sight paradoxically, when the subject is given sensory stimulation or does a ‘mental’ problem.
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.
1974 S. King Carrie (1975) 78 An electroencephalogram would have shown alpha waves that were no longer waves at all, but great, jagged spikes.
2006 G. Buzsáki Rhythms of Brain vii. 198 The occipital alpha rhythm is regarded as the archetypal cerebral rhythm.
b. Of or relating to the alpha rhythm or alpha waves.alpha state: see Compounds 2a.
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1954 Electroencephalogr. & Clin. Neurophysiol. 6 34/1 Considering alpha blocking during tasks, the essential finding is that correct answers occur significantly more often where there has been total blocking of alpha rhythms, and that incorrect answers occur significantly more often with partial blocking of alpha rhythms.
1965 Electroencephalogr. & Clin. Neurophysiol. 19 197/1 A very rare and possibly recessive EEG type is characterized by continuous occipital 4–5 c/sec alpha variants.
1987 S. M. Stahl et al. Cognitive Neurochem. viii. 126 Alpha activity was associated with relaxation and lack of concentration.
2006 G. Buzsáki Rhythms of Brain x. 265 The sigmoidal shape of the phase-sorted poststimulus alpha waves indicates the dependence on the phase of the prestimulus alpha oscillation.
4. Biochemistry. Designating the first of two or more types of subunit in a polymeric molecule, esp. haemoglobin or other protein; esp. in alpha chain.
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1958 H. S. Rinsworth et al. in Jrnl. Amer. Chem. Soc. 80 3358/1 It was decided that if the polypeptide chains of normal adult human hemoglobin were designated α and β instead of A and B, there would be less likelihood of confusion with the names of the hemoglobins themselves, that is, hemoglobin A, S, C, etc.
1978 Biochem. Jrnl. 172 172 Digestion of polymeric collagen resulted in the release of alpha, beta, and gamma-chains.
1996 B. Lewin Genes VI 484/2 The ‘core enzyme’ contains subunits α, η, and θ The α subunit has a basic ability to synthesize DNA..and the θ may be required for assembly.
2010 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 4 May d3 Most hemoglobin molecules in human blood consist of two alpha chains and two beta chains.
5. British. Stock Market. Designating stocks and shares in the first category (those most intensively traded) in a system that classifies stocks available through the Stock Exchange Automated Quotation system (SEAQ). Now disused.The categorization of shares as alpha, beta, and gamma, according to how actively they were traded, was discontinued in 1991.
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society > trade and finance > stocks and shares > stocks, shares, or bonds > [adjective] > types of securities
unissued1703
preferable1837
ordinary1866
pre-preference1867
gilt-edge1880
gilt-edged1881
unlisted1882
voting1883
assented1907
voteless1908
senior1914
well-traded1936
medium-dated1943
off-board1943
go-go1966
unquoted1969
alpha1984
gamma1986
1984 Financial Analysts Jrnl. 40 32/2 The resulting portfolio (A) would have 76 per cent of its weight in the five high alpha stocks—an atypically concentrated portfolio.
1986 Times 11 Sept. 23/7 It would not make markets..in alpha equities unless a client required it to.
1990 Which? Dec. 704/1 Alpha shares are those of top UK companies, sometimes called ‘blue-chip’ shares.
2005 Jrnl. Financial & Quantitative Anal. 40 642 Prior to January 1991..the publication of prices could be delayed up to 24 hours for alpha stocks over £100,000.
II. Of the first class or rank.
6. Chiefly British. Of, attaining, or relating to an academic mark of alpha (sense A. 4); (hence) first-class, excellent.
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the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > excellence > [adjective] > very excellent or first-rate
gildenc1225
prime1402
rare1483
grand1542
holy1599
pre-excelling1600
paregal1602
classic1604
of (the) first rate1650
solary1651
first rate1674
superb1720
tip-top1722
tip-top-gallant1730
swell1819
topping1822
of the first (also finest, best, etc.) water1826
No. 11829
brag1836
A11837
A No. 11838
number one1839
awful1843
bully1851
first class1852
class1867
champion1880
too1881
tipping1887
alpha plus1898
bonzer1898
grade A1911
gold star1917
world-ranking1921
five-star1936
too much1937
first line1938
vintage1939
supercolossal1947
top1953
alpha1958
fantabulous1959
beauty1963
supercool1965
world-class1967
primo1973
1922 F. Watson Encycl. & Dict. Educ. III. 1486/1 It will be a bad time for this country when we prefer the ‘Beta plus all round’ to the ‘Alpha’ man.
1929 Times Lit. Suppl. 2 May Nor can we give an alpha mark to [etc.].
1958 Oxf. Mag. 13 Mar. 361/1 He has an alpha picture of Miss Grier, true, affectionate and discerning, and wonderfully painted.
1980 Nature 24 Apr. 653/1 Britain's Science Research Council has been forced to reject £2.2 million worth of ‘alpha’ quality applications for university research, a spokesman said last week.
1991 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 17 Jan. 4/3 Bach is a mere ‘Alpha’ composer, in comparison to Mozart, the ‘Alpha plus’.
7. Originally and chiefly Zoology. Designating a dominant individual, esp. one dominant among others of its own sex in a mixed group of social animals; of or relating to such an individual. In extended use (sometimes with humorous or depreciative connotations): designating a person tending to assume a dominant role in social or professional situations, or thought to possess the qualities and confidence for leadership.alpha male: see Compounds 2a.
ΚΠ
1938 Jrnl. Compar. Psychol. 25 398 In pen R3..the alpha mouse occupied the nest and the subordinates rested in the feed dish.
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.
1992 Esquire July 110/2 I knew I had an alpha female here, I had an amazon. This chick was tougher than nails.
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’.
2004 H. Strachan Make a Skyf, Man! v. 55 This habitat..is browsed..by goats gone wild, there being families of these in here too, each with its alpha billy.
2009 Daily Tel. 4 June 27/2 My boyfriend,..who works in the financial sector, is completely alpha; he doesn't allow himself to be henpecked and puts me in my place when I need it.
III. That is the first of a series of two or more related things designated by code words used to represent letters in standard radio communication (cf. sense A. 7).
8. Originally and chiefly U.S. Military. Usually with capital initial, in the names of specific groups: designating one of two or more divisions of a company, group, team, etc. Also as postmodifier.
ΚΠ
1958 M. L. Worley Digest New Developm. Army Weapons, Tactics, Organization & Equipm. iv. 69 The rifle squad..receives instruction on..squad drill in fire and maneuver, utilizing combinations of the Alfa and Bravo teams.
1988 Field Man. Tank & Mechanized Infantry Battalion Task Force (U.S. Army) ii. 18 One technique..is to establish order groups... For example: Orders Group Alpha (for hasty planning or reconnaissance)... Orders Group Bravo (for detailed planning) [etc.].
1993 Washington Post (Nexis) 7 Oct. a1 The 10th Mountain Division summoned another portion of the Quick Reaction Force, Alpha Company of the 2nd Batallion [sic], 14th Infantry.
2005 S. York Angels of Aceh i. 13 Four teams—Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta—had been put together by the New South Wales Health Department, acting in accordance with the Commonwealth Government Overseas Disaster Response Plan.
Compounds
C1. Compounds of the noun.
alpha-beta adj. Metallurgy designating brass containing about 39–43 per cent of zinc, i.e. intermediate in composition between alpha brass and beta brass; cf. Muntz metal n.Alpha-beta brass is composed of two distinct phases, consisting of alpha brass and beta brass respectively.
ΚΠ
1904 Jrnl. Physical Chem. 8 424 Mixed α and β look like Fig. 7.]
1914 H. O. Hofman Metall. Copper iv. 34 Regular Brass... α-β (α-γ) alloys have to be rolled hot.
1946 V. N. Wood Metall. Materials x. 261 Alpha-beta brasses..are of importance because they come within the range where is found the best combinations of strength and ductility.
1963 A. C. Davies Sci. & Pract. Welding (ed. 5) ii. 113 The alpha-beta brass, e.g. 60% copper, 40% zinc, is used for casting purposes.
2006 N. Warren Metal Corrosion Boats (ed. 3) ii. 26 Two distinct types are commonly used, namely the 70/30 and 60/40 types, sometimes called Alpha and Alpha-Beta brasses respectively.
Alpha course n. Christian Church a discussion-based introductory course in the Christian faith and its relevance to modern existence, associated with Evangelical Anglicanism.
ΚΠ
1993 Sunday Times 7 Nov. Style & Travel 4/2 Each week he helps out at an Alpha course for new converts, where specially invited guests are given supper and asked to go for a drink and a chat afterwards.
1998 Brownsville (Texas) Herald 28 Nov. 4/1 [C. S.] Lewis is the first author recommended to people exploring Christianity through the Alpha Course, a program of suppers and conversation.
2003 Times (Nexis) 26 Feb. 20 Crowds are drawn to talented priests, whether they are Anglo-Catholics, charismatics or so-called ‘livelies’, such as those involved in the Alpha Course.
alpha minus n. and adj. chiefly British (a) n.an academic mark in the lower range of the first class, one approaching the first class; (b) adj. nearly excellent or first-rate.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > inferiority or baseness > inferior thing > [noun] > mark indicating that which is not first rate
alpha minus1914
society > education > educational administration > examination > [noun] > marks > specific marks
accessit1753
honour1774
credit1802
second class1810
firsta1830
first class1830
third class1844
Hons.1850
max1851
second1852
special mention1886
distinction?1890
A1892
E1892
pass mark1894
two-two1895
alpha1898
alpha plus1898
gamma1898
beta1902
delta1911
alpha minus1914
fourth1914
straight A1926
two-one1937
lower second1960
honourable mention2011
the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > quality of being satisfactory > [adjective] > highly satisfactory
OK1839
hunky-dory1866
(all) Sir Garnet1894
kayo1923
hotsy-totsy1924
oojah-cum-spiff1930
patsy1930
not shabby1975
alpha minus1989
1914 Blackwood's Mag. July 6/1 We were compelled to mark them with an ‘Alpha Minus’.
1989 S. Bedford Jigsaw iv. 186 ‘What does he say about my driving then?’ said Alessandro. ‘That you are a natural, you'll be alpha minus.’
2002 M. Powell Evaluating New Labour's Welfare Reforms xii. 231 Glennerster (2001) gives New Labour's social policy an ‘alpha minus’.
alpha plus n. and adj. chiefly British (a) n. an academic mark in the higher range of the first class, an excellent mark; (b) adj. superlatively excellent or first-rate.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > excellence > [noun] > excellent person or thing
carbunclea1350
swanc1386
phoenixc1400
diamondc1440
broocha1464
surmounterc1500
sovereign?a1513
primrose peerless1523
superlative1577
transcendent1593
Arabian birda1616
crack1637
first rate1681
peach1710
phoenicle1711
admiration1717
spanker1751
first-raterc1760
no slouch of1767
nailer1806
tip-topper1822
ripper1825
ripstaver1828
apotheosis1832
clinker1836
clipper1836
bird1839
keener1839
ripsnorter1840
beater1845
firecracker1845
pumpkin1845
screamer1846
stunner1847
bottler1855
beaut1866
bobby-dazzler1866
one out of the box1867
stem-winder1875
corker1877
trimmer1878
hot stuff1884
daisy1886
jim-dandy1887
cracker1891
jim-hickey1895
peacherino1896
pippin1897
alpha plus1898
peacherine1900
pip1900
humdinger1905
bosker1906
hummer1907
good egg1914
superstar1914
the berries1918
bee's knee1923
the cat's whiskers1923
smash1923
smash hit1923
brahma1925
dilly1935
piss-cutter1935
killer1937
killer-diller1938
a hard act to follow1942
peacheroo1942
bitch1946
brammerc1950
hot shit1960
Tiffany1973
bollocks1981
the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > excellence > [adjective] > very excellent or first-rate
gildenc1225
prime1402
rare1483
grand1542
holy1599
pre-excelling1600
paregal1602
classic1604
of (the) first rate1650
solary1651
first rate1674
superb1720
tip-top1722
tip-top-gallant1730
swell1819
topping1822
of the first (also finest, best, etc.) water1826
No. 11829
brag1836
A11837
A No. 11838
number one1839
awful1843
bully1851
first class1852
class1867
champion1880
too1881
tipping1887
alpha plus1898
bonzer1898
grade A1911
gold star1917
world-ranking1921
five-star1936
too much1937
first line1938
vintage1939
supercolossal1947
top1953
alpha1958
fantabulous1959
beauty1963
supercool1965
world-class1967
primo1973
society > education > educational administration > examination > [noun] > marks > specific marks
accessit1753
honour1774
credit1802
second class1810
firsta1830
first class1830
third class1844
Hons.1850
max1851
second1852
special mention1886
distinction?1890
A1892
E1892
pass mark1894
two-two1895
alpha1898
alpha plus1898
gamma1898
beta1902
delta1911
alpha minus1914
fourth1914
straight A1926
two-one1937
lower second1960
honourable mention2011
1898 Jrnl. Educ. June 348/2 Any one of them [sc. translations into Latin and Greek verse] would have gained an ‘alpha plus’ in a Hertford or Ireland Scholarship.
1903 E. Thomas Oxford iv. 107 He will be frivolous to the extent of remarking, about a pretty face, ‘Oh, she is alpha plus!’
2005 T. Yellin Genizah at House of Shepher iii. iii. 162 He was awarded an Alpha plus for Talmud and an Alpha for Literature.
2008 ‘J. le Carré’ Most Wanted Man (2009) vii. 150 Cunning as they come, venal to his boots, but alpha-plus access to military secrets.
C2. Compounds of the adjective.
a.
alpha cell n. Physiology a cell of a specific type in a tissue consisting of two or more cell types, esp. one with acidophil staining properties; spec. (a) an acidophil of the anterior lobe of the pituitary; (b) a glucagon-secreting cell of an islet of Langerhans in the pancreas.
ΚΠ
1895 Med. News 9 Feb. 159/1 Another peculiarity quite characteristic of the kind of blood in question [sc. diabetic blood] is a very clear, sharply-defined, narrow, white zone surrounding the nuclei of the white-blood corpuscle (leukocytes and lymphocytes and alpha-cells).
1925 P. Bailey & L. M. Davidoff in Amer. Jrnl. Pathol. 1 186 It is preferable to speak of the granules as α and β granules, the α being easily understood to mean the acidophilic and the β to refer to the so-called basophilic (cyanophilic) granules. The cells which contain these granules may then be spoken of as α or β cells, for cells containing both types are not known to exist under normal conditions.
1959 W. Andrews Textbk. Compar. Histol. xiii. 519 The anterior lobe consists of epithelial cells... First, there are the acidophils or alpha cells which contain eosin-staining granules.
1979 Chem. Week 25 Apr. 53 The islets contain alpha, beta and delta cells, which produce glucagon, insulin and somatotropin, respectively.
2006 Proc. National Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 103 8470/1 The alpha cells are identified on the islet periphery by immunohistochemical staining with a fluorescent antibody against glucagon.
alpha cellulose n. Biochemistry a form of cellulose consisting of long polymer chains; spec. the portion of a cellulosic material that is insoluble in sodium hydroxide solution; cf. alpha pulp n.See also beta cellulose n. at beta n. Additions, gamma cellulose n. at gamma n. and adj. Compounds 2b.
ΚΠ
1901 J. Hübner tr. J. Erfurt Dyeing Paper Pulp i. 6 (caption) Esparto or alpha cellulose taken from paper.
1912 C. F. Cross & E. J. Bevan Res. on Cellulose III. ii. 23 The cellulose is fractionated by this treatment into:—α Cellulose: insoluble in NaOHAq (17 p.ct. NaOH). β Cellulose: soluble and reprecipitated by acids. γ Cellulose: not reprecipitated: permanently soluble.
1962 Amer. Jrnl. Bot. 49 929/2 To determine α-cellulose, cell wall preparations were extracted with 0.05 n H2SO4 at 100 C.
1973 J. H. de Bussy Materials & Technol. VI. i. 105 The softwoods are intrinsically more resistant to attack than the hardwoods because of their higher alpha-cellulose and lignin contents.
2003 C. A. Smith in E. R. S. Hodges Guild Handbk. Sci. Illustr. iii. 65/1 High alpha-cellulose content in a paper implies good stability, so the term is used frequently by manufacturers of high-quality wood-based papers to suggest purity approaching cotton-fiber paper.
alpha diversity n. Ecology the number of different species (esp. of animals and plants) occurring in a particular area or ecosystem, used as a measure of biodiversity.
ΚΠ
1960 R. H. Whittaker in Ecol. Monogr. 30 320/1 Fisher's..alpha index is one means of measuring this [sc. species richness in a given area], which may be designated primary or ‘alpha’ diversity.
1983 Biotropica 15 223 Year-round availability of fruit and flowers and very large insects account for much of the high alpha-diversity in the tropics.
2005 A. Burdick Out of Eden (2006) xxi. 287 If a New York snail invades San Francisco Bay, and a San Francisco snail invades New York harbor, the alpha diversity in both locations has increased, but the beta diversity has decreased, as the two environments now share two species.
alpha geek n. slang (originally and chiefly U.S.) a person regarded as being very knowledgeable about computers and related technology, esp. the most knowledgeable in a given group or community; cf. geek n. 1c.
ΘΚΠ
society > computing and information technology > [noun] > ability to use > specialist, enthusiast
computer scientist1957
computerist1964
hacker1969
techie1970
hack1972
computer hacker1976
geek1983
tech-head1983
techno-head1988
cybergeek1992
alpha geek1993
1993 Re: 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.
2008 Guardian (Nexis) 30 Oct. 6 Tim O'Reilly, spiritual father to alpha geeks and translator to the masses, explains why losing control of personal data is good.
alpha helix n. Biochemistry one of the two common conformations of the secondary structure of proteins, in which the polypeptide chain assumes the form of a straight, tightly coiled helix, stabilized by hydrogen bonding between carbonyl and amide groups in the peptide linkages of the chain.
ΚΠ
1932 W. T. Astbury in Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) A. 230 76 The X-ray photograph of unstretched hair is quite different from that of stretched hair. On stretching the hair, the α-photograph, as we shall call it, fades away and is gradually replaced by the β-photograph... The occurrence and progress of this transformation from the α-form to the β-form accounts readily for the main features of the characteristic load/extension curve.]
1951 L. Pauling & R. B. Corey in Proc. National Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 37 239 The α helix is a configuration of the polypeptide chain in which each amide group forms hydrogen bonds with the amide groups removed by three from it in either direction along the chain.
1989 B. Alberts et al. Molecular Biol. Cell (ed. 2) iii. 110 Those portions of a transmembrane protein that cross the lipid bilayer are nearly always α helices.
1991 Sci. Amer. Apr. 35/1 Amino acids with different chemical properties are often segregated on the surface of alpha helices.
2003 Time 12 Feb. 51/2 Keratin [is]..a long, complex corkscrew of atoms known as alpha-helix.
alpha-helical n. Biochemistry of the nature of an alpha-helix.
ΚΠ
1951 Nature 22 Dec. 1085 The polypeptide chains in fibrous proteins have their alpha-helical configuration.
1990 Internat. Immunol. 2 1229/1 Previous studies..have shown that these molecules adopt an α-helical conformation under physiological conditions.
2006 V. A. Fischetti Gram-positive Pathogens vii. 75 Myosin is an alpha-helical coiled-coil molecule.
alpha-hydroxy acid n. Chemistry any of a class of aliphatic carboxylic acids that have a hydroxyl substituent at the carbon atom adjacent to the carboxyl group, some of which are used in skincare products for their exfoliating properties; abbreviated AHA.Alpha-hydroxy acids have the general formula RR′C(OH)COOH, where R and R′ represent alkyl groups.
ΚΠ
1885 I. Remsen Org. Chem. x. 161 Lactic acid, inactive ethylidene-lactic acid, α-hydroxy-propionic acid.]
1899 Jrnl. Chem. Soc. 75 i. 1027 By substituting an α-hydroxy-acid for the α-keto-alcohol in the foregoing reaction, it might be possible to prepare oxazolones (ketodihydro-oxazoles).
1922 Science 27 Oct. 491/1 The preparation of aromatic alpha hydroxy acids and their esters from the cyanhydrins.
1964 N. G. Clark Mod. Org. Chem. xiv. 280 Two α-hydroxy-acids, glycollic acid, HO.CH2.COOH, and lactic acid, CH3.CH(OH).COOH.
2006 San Diego Mag. June 46/1 She applies alpha-hydroxy acids to remove dull surface cells and promote the skin's renewal process.
alpha male n. originally and chiefly Zoology a male individual that is dominant among others of its own sex, esp. in a mixed group of social animals; (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.
ΚΠ
1938 J. Uhrich in Jrnl. Compar. Psychol. 25 386 The despot may be regarded as the primary dominant, or alpha male, and the male subordinate to him but dominant over others as secondary dominant, or beta male.
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.
1991 Discover Dec. 24/3 Goblin was..a sort of Donald Trump of the chimp world. He rose to be alpha male of his troop at the very early age of 16.
2000 New Republic 14 Feb. 19/1 They haven't really shown themselves to be alpha male candidates until they..sink their teeth into somebody's hindquarters.
2009 Daily Tel. 29 Apr. 20/8 With those words Russell Crowe launched himself as the ultimate alpha-male, triggering a swoonfest.
alpha pulp n. wood pulp containing a high proportion of alpha cellulose.
ΚΠ
1927 Brit. Patent 278,767 5/1 If alkali is necessary in the bleaching operation, it is better to provide for such alkali purposely..rather than to depend on the alkali present in an incompletely washed alpha pulp.
1980 J. H. Young in J. P. Casey Pulp & Paper (ed. 3) II. vi. 850 Pulps which are low in hemicelluloses, such as alpha pulps, are very resistant to beating.
2000 J. Gildow & B. B. Newton Colored Pencil Solution Bk. i. 18 Alpha pulp consists of plant fibers from which the lignins have been removed to the point where a long-lasting paper can be made from it.
alpha taxonomy n. Biology the initial stage in the classification of a new species in which it is named, formally described, and categorized at a basic level, typically using morphological characteristics.
ΚΠ
1937 Rep. Brit. Assoc. Advancem. Sci. 426 Dr. W. B. Turrill.—The expansion of taxonomy. (1) Introduction.—The necessity and practical aims of classification. (2) Alpha taxonomy.—Its methods, achievements, continuation, and limitations. (3) Omega taxonomy.—The new ideas and ideals.
1939 Bull. Misc. Information (Royal Bot. Gardens, Kew) 473 Under the alpha taxonomy which has to be used at present they [sc. a population of plants] are to be classified as S[ilene] vulgaris s.l.
1964 BioScience July 19/1 While alpha taxonomy will be with us for a long time to come, much of taxonomy is moving closer to ecology.
2010 Nature 9 Sept. 154/1 Taxonomists who identify, describe and name species (who practise alpha taxonomy, as it is known in the trade) are central to many research programmes in applied biology, ecology and conservation.
b. Physics.
alpha particle n. a positively charged particle consisting of two protons and two neutrons bound together (as in the nucleus of a helium atom) and emitted by a radioactive substance as alpha radiation.So named before it was identified with the helium nucleus: see alpha radiation n. and quot. 1908.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > physics > atomic nucleus > radioactivity > alpha radiation > [noun] > particle in
alpha particle1903
1903 E. Rutherford 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 E. Rutherford & H. Geiger in Proc. Royal Soc. A. 81 172 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 radioelements.
1949 H. Yagoda Radioactive Measurem. with Nucl. Emulsions i. 6 These emulsions, intended for the registration of alpha-particle, proton, and fission-fragment tracks, are conveniently referred to as Nuclear Emulsions.
1990 J. D. Barrow Theories of Everything (1991) v. 95 Two alpha particles combine under stellar conditions to make a nucleus of the element beryllium.
2001 O. Sacks Uncle Tungsten xxiii. 287 The tiny sparks or scintillations one saw came from the disintegration of individual atoms of radium, from the individual alpha particles each shot off as it exploded.
alpha radiation n. one of the three main forms of radiation emitted by radioactive material, consisting of alpha particles; cf. beta (or β) radiation at beta n. 2f(a), gamma radiation n. at gamma n. and adj. Compounds 2a.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > physics > atomic nucleus > radioactivity > alpha radiation > [noun]
alpha radiation1899
1899 E. Rutherford in London, Edinb. & Dublin Philos. Mag. 47 116 These experiments show that uranium radiation is complex, and that there are present at least two distinct types of radiation—one that is very readily absorbed, which will be termed for convenience the α radiation, and the other of a more penetrative character, which will be termed the β radiation.
1936 N. Feather Introd. Nucl. Physics i. 5 Bragg..showed that the ionising effect of the α radiation ceased abruptly at a particular distance.
1972 M. H. Battey Mineral. for Students iii. 93/2 Small crystals of zircon, containing thorium, embedded in biotite, may by their α-radiation produce an intensely pleochroic halo.
2006 Daily Tel. 1 Dec. 4/1 The trail of the alpha-radiation was so strong that detectives have been able to follow it across London.
alpha ray n. a ray or single particle of alpha radiation; (attributive or in plural) alpha radiation.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > physics > atomic nucleus > radioactivity > alpha radiation > [noun] > ray of
alpha ray1902
1902 E. Rutherford & A. G. Grier in London, Edinb. & Dublin Philos. Mag. 6th Ser. 4 325 For brevity and convenience we will call the non-deviable rays of all radioactive substances α rays and the deviable rays β rays.
1912 Current Lit. Dec. 668/1 In the spinthariscope..we actually see the flash of light caused by the impact of a single alpha ray—which is a charged molecule of helium—upon a screen of zinc blend.
1942 J. D. Stranathan ‘Particles’ of Mod. Physics viii. 344 The previously supposed homogeneous α-rays emitted from ThC actually fall into five distinct groups.
1989 R. Pflaum Grand Obsession xiv. 238 She studied the target through a microscope, concentrating on the scintillations that resulted every time the alpha rays collided with the atoms of the screen.
2010 C. Bouboulis Featherman xi. 148 When he released the handle, the alpha ray jet stopped.
c. Physiology and Pharmacology. Forming terms relating to one of the two main types of adrenergic receptor in organs innervated by the autonomic nervous system. Cf. beta n. 2i.
alpha-adrenergic adj. designating alpha receptors; of, relating to, or involving these receptors.
ΚΠ
1954 R. P. Ahlquist in V. A. Drill Pharmacol. in Med. vii. xxvi. 10/1 These structures have principally alpha adrenergic receptors.
1992 Amer. Jrnl. Nursing 92 No. 10. 82/2 Estrogen supplementation in postmenopausal women may restore..the alpha-adrenergic responsiveness of urethral muscle.
2000 Sat. Evening Post May 14/1 With Flomax, as with other medications of its type (alpha-adrenergic blocking agents), there is a risk of fainting.
alpha blocker n. any of a class of drugs that prevent the activation of alpha receptors, used esp. to treat hypertension and to improve urinary flow in prostatic enlargement.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medicines for specific purpose > preparations treating or preventing specific ailments > [noun] > for blood-pressure disorders
Neo-Synephrine1934
Priscol1938
phenylephrine1947
hexamethonium1949
Priscoline1949
methonium1950
hydralazine1952
phentolamine1953
methyldopa1954
pentolinium1954
mecamylamine1955
hydrochlorothiazide1958
pempidine1958
guanethidine1959
hydroflumethiazide1959
thiazide1959
pheniprazine1960
pargyline1961
vasodepressor1961
alpha blocker1965
clonidine1969
prazosin1970
timolol1973
1965 J. H. Burn Autonomic Nerv. Syst. (ed. 2) Index 133/1 Alpha blockers.
1977 N.Z. Med. Jrnl. 14 Sept. 213/2 Whereas beta-blockers increase the ionised calcium concentration in the bronchial smooth muscle, alpha-blockers diminish this and therefore may inhibit the histamine response.
2003 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 2 Oct. c22 (advt.) If you are taking alpha-blocker therapy for the treatment of high blood pressure or prostate problems, you should not take a dose of greater than 25 mg of Viagra at the same time (within 4 hours) as you take your dose of alpha-blocker.
alpha receptor n. one of the two main types of adrenergic receptor, activation of which causes contraction of smooth muscle in blood vessels and certain other organs, resulting esp. in vasoconstriction and increased blood pressure.
ΚΠ
1948 R. P. Ahlquist in Amer. Jrnl. Physiol. 153 596 It [sc. epinephrine] is the most active substance on the alpha receptors and almost the most active on the beta receptors.
1974 V. B. Mountcastle et al. Med. Physiol. (ed. 13) II. xxxviii. 954/1 Reaction to agents such as epinephrine, which activates both alpha and beta receptors, depends on the relative numbers of each type in the smooth muscle population.
2007 M. N. Levy & A. J. Pappano Cardiovascular Physiol. (ed. 9) xi. 207/1 The α- and β-adrenergic drugs and their respective blocking agents reveal the presence of alpha receptors (constrictors) and beta receptors (dilators) on the coronary vessels.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2012; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adj.c1175