alpha
alpha — noun
1. the name of the very first letter in Greek writing, shown as A in capital form a
the name of the very first letter in Greek writing, shown as A in capital form and as α in its small form.
Professor Marsden wrote a small alpha on the chalkboard to show students the symbol used in physics.
alpha as a written Greek-letter symbol
In the equation, the angle is marked with the Greek letter alpha next to the triangle.
noun used after 'Greek letter'
Wairimu mixed up alpha and beta when she copied the formula from her chemistry textbook.
Dr. Gita used the symbol alpha to stand for the angle of the falling ball in her physics formula.
- omega
the last letter of the Greek alphabet, often paired with alpha
文法句型
the alpha
alpha + noun (e.g. alpha particle)
用法筆記
Often capitalised as 'Alpha' when used as a proper name (e.g. for stars or experimental missions). In running scientific text, the lowercase symbol α frequently replaces the spelled-out word.
常見錯誤
alpha — adjective
1. describing an early, unfinished version of a computer program or game that the t
describing an early, unfinished version of a computer program or game that the team is still building and testing inside the company before showing it to outside users.
The studio is letting only its own staff play the alpha build of the new racing game.
attributive use: alpha + build
Engineers at Toraku Labs are still fixing crashes in the alpha version of their photo app.
common collocation: alpha version
Eitan signed a strict contract before he could try the alpha release of the banking software.
Priya found three missing buttons and one crash while testing the alpha software on her laptop.
- pre-release
broader; covers any unfinished version, including beta
- experimental
stresses that the product is being tried out, not necessarily 'first stage'
文法句型
alpha + noun (version, build, release, software)
用法筆記
Used attributively in front of nouns like 'version', 'build', 'release', 'software'. Distinct from sense adjective/2: this sense is about products, not people, and never describes a person's character.
常見錯誤
2. describing a person, or sometimes an animal in a group, who acts confident and f
describing a person, or sometimes an animal in a group, who acts confident and forceful, takes the leading role, and expects others to follow them.
Hiroshi played the alpha male in the office, always speaking first in every meeting.
common collocation: alpha male
Coach Reyes is an alpha personality who decides where the team eats and trains each day.
alpha + personality, leadership context
Among the wolves, the alpha female chose where the pack would sleep that night.
Nikolai is quiet at parties, but at work he becomes an alpha leader who pushes every project forward.
The new manager has a very alpha style and wants to make every important decision himself.
- dominant
neutral and more formal; works in scientific writing about animals
- assertive
milder; stresses confidence without the 'in charge of others' part
- domineering
negative; suggests controlling others too much
- submissive
willing to follow others rather than lead
- beta
informal opposite, often used jokingly online
文法句型
alpha + noun (male, female, leader)
用法筆記
Almost always attributive, in fixed pairs like 'alpha male', 'alpha female', 'alpha leader'. Carries informal, often pop-psychology overtones; in serious writing, prefer 'dominant' or 'assertive'. Distinguish from adjective/1: that sense is about software stages, never people.