# Alice

/ˈæɫəs/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/alice
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. female name

noun · CEFR A1

a popular female given name.

For teachers: a female given name of Germanic origin, common in English-speaking cultures since the Middle Ages.

- Alice decided to go for a walk in the park after finishing her book.
- The protagonist, Alice, navigates a series of increasingly surreal encounters throughout the narrative.

### 2. cryptography/physics

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a name used in science for the first person sending a message to a second person, usually called Bob.

For teachers: a conventional placeholder name for the first party in a communication protocol, typically paired with 'Bob' as the receiver.

- In this example, Alice sends an encrypted email to Bob using his public key.
- The thought experiment assumes that Alice and Bob share an entangled pair of particles before being separated by a significant distance.

Usage: Usually used without an article as a proper noun in technical diagrams and explanations.

### 3. Alice Springs

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal · Dialect

a common nickname for the city of Alice Springs in Australia.

For teachers: a colloquial toponym for the town of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia.

- We spent three days in the Alice before driving out to see Uluru.
- Many travellers use the Alice as a base of operations for exploring the remote regions of the Australian Outback.

Usage: Usually used with the definite article: 'the Alice'.

## Examples

- Alice sends an encrypted message to Bob.
- In this security model, Alice must verify her identity before the server allows her to access the private key.
- The EPR paradox often utilizes Alice and Bob as observers to demonstrate the non-local effects of quantum entanglement across vast distances.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.