alpha

n. [ L. alpha, Gr. 'a`lfa, from Heb. āleph, name of the first letter in the alphabet, also meaning ox. ] The first letter in the Greek alphabet, answering to A, and hence used to denote the beginning. [ 1913 Webster ]

In am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Rev. xxii. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]

Formerly used also denote the chief; as, Plato was the alpha of the wits. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In cataloguing stars, the brightest star of a constellation in designated by Alpha (α); as, α Lyræ. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To designate by the letters of the alphabet; to arrange alphabetically. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. alphabetum, fr. Gr. &unr_; + &unr_;, the first two Greek letters; Heb. āleph and beth: cf. F. alphabet. ] 1. The letters of a language arranged in the customary order; the series of letters or signs which form the elements of written language. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The simplest rudiments; elements. [ 1913 Webster ]

The very alphabet of our law. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Deaf and dumb alphabet. See Dactylology. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A learner of the alphabet; an abecedarian. Abp. Sancroft. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ Cf. F. alphabétique. ] 1. Pertaining to, furnished with, expressed by, or in the order of, the letters of the alphabet; as, alphabetic characters, writing, languages, arrangement. English has an alphabetical writing system. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Literal. [ Obs. ] “Alphabetical servility.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. in alphabetical order.
Syn. -- abecedarian [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adv. In an alphabetic manner; in the customary order of the letters. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The science of representing spoken sounds by letters. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The expression of spoken sounds by an alphabet. Encyc. Brit. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To arrange alphabetically; as, to alphabetize a list of words. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To furnish with an alphabet. [ 1913 Webster ]