The alpha phase of the release life cycle is the first phase to begin software testing. Alpha software can be unstable and could cause crashes or data loss. The exception to this is when the alpha is available publicly, in which developers normally push for stability so that their testers can test properly. (Source WikiPedia)
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
alpha (noun)1.
the 1st letter of the Greek - alphabet see alphabet table
2.
something that is first - beginning
3.
- alpha wave
4.
- alpha particle
1.
closest in the structure of an organic molecule to a particular group or atom - symbol ? ?-substitution
2.
socially dominant especially in a group of animals - an alpha male
3.
- alphabetic
Merriam-Webster Online Thesaurus
alpha (noun)the point at which something begins
SYNONYMS:
alpha, baseline, birth, commencement, dawn, day one, genesis, get-go ( git-go), inception, incipience, incipiency, kickoff, launch, morning, nascence, nascency, onset, outset, start, thresholdRELATED WORDS:
drawing board, first base, ground zero, square one; creation, founding, inauguration, initiation, institution, origination; cradle, fountain, fountainhead, germ, origin, root, seedbed, source, spring, well, wellspring; dawning, opening; advent, appearance, arrival, debut ( début), emergence; childhood, infancy, youthNEAR ANTONYMS:
cessation, closing, closure, completion, finale, finish, period, stop, termination, windupAlpha (Wikipedia)
Alpha /ˈælfə/ (uppercaseΑ, lowercaseα; Ancient Greek: ἄλφα, álpha, modern pronunciation álfa) is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of one. Alpha is derived from the Phoenician letter aleph 
, which is the West Semitic word for "ox". Letters that arose from alpha include the Latin letter A and the Cyrillic letter А.
