alpha

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“
It is assumed that the condition is caused by deficiency for the protein Pur-alpha, which is essential for normal neural function.

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Definitions (28)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (8)

  1. noun The first letter of the Greek alphabet. See Table at alphabet.
  2. noun The first one; the beginning.
  3. noun Chemistry The first position from a designated carbon atom in an organic molecule at which an atom or radical may be substituted.
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Examples (50)

  • H - alpha will be the primary monitoring wavelength used by the astronauts Flares nearly always occur around sunspots—see Figure 8—and are the greatest of the transient solar dis­turbances, with results of the most consequence to Earth. —  skylab
  • Delver is a "socially connected" search tool in alpha, that is based on your friends influence on content, i.e. drawing upon the "wisdom of crowds" to filter the universe of search content. —  Original Signal - Transmitting Web 2.0
  • Even more crucially, the substitution works in the other direction, too: beta is a released version of software for evaluating a preview of X, and the alpha is a released version of software for evaluating a preview of the beta. —  furia log
  • TNF-alpha is a well known and well characterized drug target for inflammatory conditions. —  Health News from Medical News Today
  • Just as bad as the alpha is the rake, is my opinion. —  Dear Author: Romance Novel Reviews, Industry News, and Commentary
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This word has been looked up 139 times.

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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Greek, of Phoenician origin; see אlp in Semitic roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Latin, from Greek ᾰλφα, from the Phoenician name representing by Hebrew 'āleph (=Arabic 'alif), name of the first letter, meaning an ox: see a.
 

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/ˈælfə/
by American Heritage

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