Oxford Business English Dictionary for Learners of English

an average of changes in share prices of most companies on a stock exchange, used to measure how a market is performing

all-StOCk = all-share

.All-'Stock .index (also ,AII 'Stock, less frequent) = All-Share index

.all-'time adjective [only before noun] the best or worst that has ever been recorded: New car sales reached an all-time high of almost 2.46 million last year.

О an all-time high/low/peak/record

alpha /'aslfa/ = alpha test

alphanumeric /,Јelfanju:'merik; AmE-nu:'mer-/ (also alphanumerical /.aelfanjur'merikl; AmE - nu:'mer-/) adjective

having both letters and numbers: Your login name must be a four-character alphanumeric code.

'alpha test (also 'alpha) noun [c,u] (IT; Marketing) the first stage of testing a new product, especially computer software, which is done by the manufacturer under controlled conditions: The software is currently under alpha test.

to run/conduct alpha tests

► 'alpha-test verb [+ obj] We haven't alpha-tested the business software yet. ► alpha-,testing (also 'alpha) noun [u] -» beta test

Alt /o:lt/ = Alt key

alter /'o.-lta(r)/ verb

[+ obj or no obj] to make sb/sth different; to become different: The company has since altered its accounting policies.

(Law) [+ obj] to change part of a legal agreement after it has been prepared or signed -> amend

alteration /.orita'reijn/ noun [c,u]

changes that are made to sth, usually to improve it: The designers have had to make major alterations to the engine.

(Law) a change that is made to a legal document after it has been prepared or signed

alternate /o:l't3:nat; AmE 'o:ltarn-/ noun [c] (AmE) a person who is chosen to do sb else's job when that person is ill/sick or away from their office, etc: Four delegates and four alternates were selected, о She is alternate director to MrXue, the deputy managing director.

alternative dis pute reso lution (also 'dispute) noun [u] (especiallyAmE) (abbr ADR) (Law) the name used to describe various methods of ending a legal disagreement without using a court СЕПЗ Two popular methods are arbitration and mediation.

alternative investment noun [c.u] ways of investing large amounts of money that are different from the traditional method of investing money only in shares and bonds: Property is still regarded as the safest of alternative investments.

Alternative Investment .Market noun [sing.] (abbr AIM)

a stock market at the LSE (= London Stock Exchange) that is designed for smaller or newer companies

'Alt key noun [C, usually sing.] (also Alt [u]) a button on a computer keyboard that you press with other buttons for particular commands or symbols: Hold down the Alt key and press the F4 function key. о To exit the database press Alt + Q.

,always-'on adjective [only before noun] (IT) (about a computer system or service) giving continuous access to the Internet: Broadband is an always-on, high-speed Internet connection. -> dial-up

amalgamate /a'maelgameit/ [+ obj or no obj] amalgamate (sth) (with sth) | amalgamate sth into

sth if two or more organizations amalgamate or are amalgamated, they join together to form one large organization: The firm amalgamated with several others to form a new electronics group, о There will be job losses when the sales teams are amalgamated. ► a malgamated adjective [only before noun] (often used in the names of organizations): the Amalgamated Engineering Union amalgamation /a.meelga'meijn/ noun [u,C]: an amalgamation of several unions

amass /a'mees/ verb [+ obj] to collect a large amount of sth, especially money or debt: The company has amassed $1.4 billion in debt.