alpha and omega

The beginning and the end; the entirety of something. (Alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.) In order to do well on the exam, you need to know the alpha and omega of the textbook. Do practicing lawyers really know the alpha and omega of law? Or are they just very well-versed in their particular subset of law? I'm sorry, are we supposed to write an essay on the alpha and omega of heroines in English literature in just two hours?

See also: alpha, and, omega

alpha and omega

both the beginning and the end; the essentials, from the beginning to the end; everything, from the beginning to the end. He was forced to learn the alpha and omega of corporate law in order to even talk to the lawyers. He loved her deeply. She was his alpha and omega.

See also: alpha, and, omega

alpha and omega

The beginning and the end, the first and the last, as in She had to master the alpha and omega of the new computer program before she could even begin . This idiom and its meaning, based on the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, appears in the New Testament (Revelation 1:8): "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord," where it is repeated three more times.

See also: alpha, and, omega

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

alpha and omega

1 the beginning and the end. 2 the essence or most important features.

Alpha and omega are respectively the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Christians use the phrase as a title for Jesus Christ, taking it from Revelation 1:8: ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord’.

2 1994 BBC Holidays At Cambridge…you'll find the alpha and omega of American academic life: historic Harvard and space-age MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).

See also: alpha, and, omega

alpha and omega, the

The sum of something, the beginning and the end, symbolized by the first (alpha) and last (omega) letters of the Greek alphabet. The Book of Revelation (1:8) states: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord.” The modern equivalent is a to z. See also from soup to nuts.