gamma

[gam-uh]

noun

1. the third letter of the Greek alphabet (Γ, γ).

2. the consonant sound represented by this letter.

3. the third in a series of items.

4. Astronomy.,  Gamma, a star that is usually the third brightest of a constellation.

   The third brightest star in the Southern Cross is Gamma Crucis.

5. a unit of weight equal to one microgram.

6. Physics.,  a unit of magnetic field strength, equal to 10− 5 gauss.

7. Photography.,  a measure of the degree of development of a negative or print.

8. Television.,  an analogous numerical indication of the degree of contrast between light and dark in the reproduction of an image in television.

9. Chiefly British.,  a grade showing that an individual student is in the third, or lowest, of three scholastic sections in a class.

gamma

¹

/ ˈɡæmə /

noun

1. the third letter in the Greek alphabet (Γ, γ), a consonant, transliterated as g. When double, it is transcribed and pronounced as ng

2. the third highest grade or mark, as in an examination

3. a unit of magnetic field strength equal to 10 ^–5 oersted. 1 gamma is equivalent to 0.795 775 × 10 ^–3 ampere per metre

4. photog television the numerical value of the slope of the characteristic curve of a photographic emulsion or television camera; a measure of the contrast reproduced in a photographic or television image

5. (modifier)

   1. involving or relating to photons of very high energy

      a gamma detector

   2. relating to one of two or more allotropes or crystal structures of a solid

      gamma iron

   3. relating to one of two or more isomeric forms of a chemical compound, esp one in which a group is attached to the carbon atom next but one to the atom to which the principal group is attached

Gamma

²

/ ˈɡæmə /

noun

1. (foll by the genitive case of a specified constellation) the third brightest star in a constellation

   Gamma Leonis

Word History and Origins

Origin of gamma¹

From the Greek word gámma

Word History and Origins

Origin of gamma¹

C14: from Greek; related to Hebrew gīmel third letter of the Hebrew alphabet (probably: camel)

Example Sentences

Although humans can't see them, radio waves are a form of light in the sense that they are part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which also includes X-rays and gamma rays.

From BBC

Meanwhile, the city of Berkeley is working toward examining its own survey for gamma radiation at Cesar Chavez Park, which was built atop the former municipal landfill.

From Los Angeles Times

A gamma ray detector on a device developed by a Cornish company is being used to assess soil quality.

From BBC

The gamma rays detected on Earth tell us a great deal about these sources, since they travel through space undisturbed.

From Science Daily

Astrophysicists at the University of California, Berkeley, now argue that the axion could be discovered within seconds of the detection of gamma rays from a nearby supernova explosion.

From Science Daily