alma

n. Stands for Atacama Large Millimeter Array. It is a very large and powerful telescope located in the desert in Chile.

n. Abbreviation for Atacama Large Millimeter Array. An astronomical interferometer of radio telescopes in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, used to study the building blocks of stars and planets.

“Scientists used ALMA to take clear pictures of dust around a young star.”

“Data collected by ALMA has provided unprecedented insights into the cold gas clouds where new planetary systems are currently forming.”

Technical

n. A professional female singer or dancer in Egypt who performs at parties or funerals.

n. A class of Egyptian female entertainers, specifically professional singers and dancers who performed for female audiences or at public ceremonies.

“The old book described an alma performing a traditional dance at the palace.”

“Nineteenth-century travelogues frequently romanticized the role of the alma in Egyptian social life, often conflating their musical skills with other forms of entertainment.”

Archaic · Formal

n. A common traditional name for a girl or woman.

n. A female given name, derived from the Latin 'almus', meaning nourishing or kind.

“My grandmother's name was Alma, which was very popular a hundred years ago.”

“The name Alma saw a significant surge in popularity during the Victorian era before becoming less common in the mid-twentieth century.”