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theta

American  
[they-tuh, thee-] / ˈθeɪ tə, ˈθi- /

noun

  1. the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet (Θ, θ).

  2. the consonant sound represented by this letter.


theta British  
/ ˈθiːtə /

noun

  1. the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet (Θ, θ), a consonant, transliterated as th

  2. the lower-case form of this letter used in phonetic transcription to represent the voiceless dental fricative th as in thick, both Compare edh

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of theta

1595–1605; < Greek thêta < Semitic See teth

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Then by 2½ minutes, slower-frequency theta waves related to deep inner stillness increased.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 27, 2026

Optogenetic stimulation of cerebellar glia induced the emergence of the theta band, causing an early breakup of the fighting.

From Science Daily Dec. 5, 2023

When the combat broke up, the researchers observed 4 to 6 Hz theta band local field potentials in the cerebellum, along with a sustained increase in Ca2+ levels in the glia.

From Science Daily Dec. 5, 2023

The five common brain-wave types, named alpha, beta, gamma, delta and theta depending on their oscillation rate, signify different states of the brain.

From Scientific American Jun. 16, 2023

“These are the theta waves,” he told the audience.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

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