You searched for: “alphabet
alphabet
1. A set of letters, usually listed in a fixed order, used in writing a language and representing its basic speech sounds; such as, the Cyrillic alphabet.
2. A set of symbols representing units used in communication; especially, speech sounds or words.

Word History

Just as English-speaking people refer to their A B C's, using the first three letters to mean the complete list, as a whole, so the Greeks used alpha and beta, their names for "a" and "b", the first two letters. The combination of these two, alpha + beta, is the origin of the English word alphabet.

—From Picturesque Word Origins; published by G & C. Merriam Company;
Springfield, Massachusetts; 1933; page 14.
This entry is located in the following units: alpha; A, α + (page 2) beta; B, β + (page 1)
(Greek: ; beginning, first of anything; first letter of the Greek alphabet; used in physics and chemistry to designate a variety of series or values)
(Greek: B, β; second letter of the Greek alphabet and the second object in any order of arrangement or classification)
(Greek: twenty-second letter of the Greek alphabet; Χ, χ)
(Greek: triangular; fourth letter; Δ, δ, of the Greek alphabet)
(Greek: the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet; Ε, ε)
(Greek: the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet; Η, η)
(Greek: Γ, γ; the third letter of the Greek alphabet; corresponding to g, as in go and as a numeral, it indicates 3)
(Greek: the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet)
(Greek: the tenth letter of the Greek alphabet; Κ, κ)
(Greek: the eleventh letter of the Greek alphabet; Λ, λ)
(Greek: the twelfth letter of the Greek alphabet; Μ, μ)
(Greek: the thirteenth letter of the Greek alphabet; Ν, ν)
(Greek: the 24th and last letter of the Greek alphabet; Ω, ω; the ending, the last of anything)
(Greek: the fifteenth letter of the Greek alphabet)
(Greek: the twenty-first letter of the Greek alphabet; Φ, φ)
(Greek: the sixteenth letter of the Greek alphabet; Π, π)
(Greek: the twenty-third letter of the Greek alphabet; Ψ, ψ)
(Greek: the seventeenth letter of the Greek alphabet; Ρ, ρ)
(Greek: the eighteenth letter of the Greek alphabet; Σ, σ [beginning of word], ς [end of word])
(Greek: the nineteenth letter of the Greek alphabet; Τ, τ)
(Greek: the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet; Θ, θ; theta symbol, ϑ)
(Greek: the twentieth letter of the Greek alphabet; Υ, υ; upsilon symbol with hook, ϒ)
(Greek: the fourteenth letter of the Greek alphabet; Ξ, ξ)
(Greek: the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet; Ζ, ζ)
Word Entries containing the term: “alphabet
manual alphabet (s) (noun), manual alphabets (pl)
A system which is used for communicating with each other by hearing-impaired, or deaf, people: The manual alphabet is a procedure in which finger positions represent the letters of a language which is being shown to those who can not hear spoken words.
This entry is located in the following unit: manu-, man-, mani-, mandat-, manda- (page 5)
phonetic alphabet
A set of symbols, each representing a distinct speech sound.
A unit at Get Words related to: “alphabet
(a system of sounds for each symbol)
Word Entries at Get Words containing the term: “alphabet
Greek alphabet

Used in math and science.


Α α, alpha
Β β, beta
Γ γ, gamma
Δ δ, delta
Ε ε, epsilon
Ζ ζ, zeta
Η η, eta
Θ θ theta
Ι ι, iota
Κ κ, kappa
Λ λ, lambda
Μ μ, mu
Ν ν, nu
Ξ ξ, xi
Ο ο, omicron
Π π, pi
Ρ ρ, rho
Σ σ, sigma
Τ τ, tau
Υ υ, upsilon
Φ φ, phi
Χ χ, chi
Ψ ψ, psi
Ω ω, omega
This entry is located in the following unit: Measurements and Mathematics Terms (page 6)