beta

Etymology

From Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta)

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈbiːtə/
• (US) enPR: bāʹtə, IPA^(key): /ˈbeɪtə/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːtə, -eɪtə
• Homophone: beater (non-rhotic accents)
• Homophone: baiter (non-rhotic accents)

Noun

beta (plural betas)

1. The second letter of the Greek alphabet (Β,  β), preceded by alpha (Α,  α) and followed by gamma, (Γ,  γ). In modern Greek it represents the voiced labiodental fricative sound of v found in the English words have and vase.
2. Used in marking scheme: α, β, γ or α+, α, α-, β etc.
3. (finance) Average sensitivity of a security's price to overall securities market prices.
4. (computing) The phase of development after alpha testing and before launch, in which software, while not complete, has been released to potential users for testing.
5. (computing) A computer program in such a phase; a preliminary version.
   • 2007, Michael Lopp, Managing Humans (page 107)

     He quickly deduced our goal—ship a quality beta—but he also quickly discerned that we had no idea about the quality of the product because of our pile of untriaged bugs.

6. (climbing) Information about a route which may aid someone in climbing it.
7. (physics) A beta particle or beta ray.
8. Alternative spelling of betta (fish in the genus Betta)
9. (slang, manosphere) A beta male.
   • 2006, Catherine Mann, Blaze of Glory, Harlequin (2006), →ISBN, unnumbered page:

     “I guess in your psychological language of alpha males and beta males, I would be firmly in the camp that prefers the more laid-back betas,” she took a deep breath, “like your father.”

   • 2010, L. A. Banks, "Dog Tired (of the Drama!)", in Blood Lite II: Overbite (ed. Kevin J. Anderson), Gallery Books (2010), →ISBN, page 121:

     “They want sexy, virile alpha males, yes? But that doesn't come with sensitive and loyal and all of that. That's a beta. A frickin' collie, Lola. […]

   • 2010, Terry Spear, Wolf Fever, Sourcebooks Casablanca (2010), →ISBN, page 24:

     She'd always had a thing for alpha males. Not that she had any intention of being bossed around, even if one had her best interests at heart. Her fascination with alphas was that they were a challenge. Betas didn't hold much of an appeal.

   • 2015, Stephen Jarosek, Tyrants of Matriarchy

     When they ride the cock carousel in preference to the responsible betas that they find so boring, well, we guess that they pay.

Adjective

beta (not comparable)

1. Identifying a molecular position in an organic chemical compound.
2. Designates the second in an order of precedence.
3. (computing) Preliminary; prerelease. Refers to an incomplete version of a product released for initial testing.
4. (of a person, object or action) associated with the beta male/female archetype.

Verb

beta (third-person singular simple present betas, present participle betaing, simple past and past participle betaed)

1. (computing) To preliminarily release computer software for initial testing prior to final release.
2. (chiefly Internet) To beta-read a text.
   • 1999, sqira a., in alt.tv.x-files.creative

     My thanks to Heather; who read it and betaed it. Thank you.

   • 2000, Elizabeth Durack, quoted in Angelina I. Karpovich, “The Audience as Editor: The Role of Beta Readers in Online Fan Fiction Communities” (essay), in Karen Hellekson and Kristina Busse (editors), Fan Fiction and Fan Communities in the Age of the Internet, McFarland (2006), →ISBN, page 180,

     Beta’ing is time-consuming, so asking a lot of people to give you a detailed analysis isn’t the most polite thing to do.

   • 2002, Jane Davitt, in alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer.creative

     The next part is written and beta'd (thanks, Jen!), ready to go but <shuffles feet> I haven't even started what should be the final part yet.

   • 2002, Karmen Ghia, in alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated

     I had the honor of betaing this story and as I was doing the first read through I had the odd, but lovely, experience when a story suspends the reader in its own rhythm and flow, its own reality.

Anagrams

• Bate, abet, bate, beat

Pronoun

beta

1. I first-person singular pronoun

Etymology

From Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta).

Noun

beta f (plural betes)

1. beta (Greek letter)

Etymology 1

From Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta).

Etymology 2

From Occitan beta.

Further reading

• “beta” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta).

Noun

beta n

1. beta (Greek letter)

Etymology

From Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta), ultimately from Proto-Semitic *bayt- (“house”).

Noun

beta n (genitive singular beta, plural betu)

1. beta (Greek letter)

Etymology

From Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta).

Noun

beta m (plural betas)

1. beta (Greek letter)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛ.ta/, [ˈbɛːt̪ä]
• Rhymes: -ɛta
• Stress: bèta
• Hyphenation: be‧ta

Etymology 1

From Latin bēta, from Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta).

Etymology 2

From Latin bēta (“beet”), from Celtic.

Anagrams

• beat

Etymology 1

From a Celtic language.

Etymology 2

From Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta).

References

• beta in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• beta in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• beta in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)

Etymology 1

From Court Malay, Beta.

Etymology 2

From Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta).

Alternative forms

• bete

Verb

beta

1. third-person plural present subjunctive relative of is

Etymology 1

From Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta).

Etymology 2

Etymology

From Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bêta/
• Hyphenation: be‧ta

Noun

bȅta f (Cyrillic spelling бе̏та)

1. beta, the Greek letter, Β, β

Etymology

From Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛta/

Noun

beta f (genitive singular bety, nominative plural bety, genitive plural biet, declension pattern of žena) OR
beta n

1. beta (Greek letter)

References

• beta in Slovak dictionaries at korpus.sk

Etymology

From Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta), of Semitic origin, ultimately from Proto-Semitic *bayt- (“house”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbe.ta/
• Homophone: veta

Noun

beta f (plural betas)

1. beta; the Greek letter Β, β

Noun

beta n, c

1. beta; the Greek letter Β, β
2. beetroot
3. (computing) a beta version of a program
4. (slang) short for minnesbeta

Verb

beta

1. to graze; to eat grass; to feed on growing herbage.
2. to test software prior to release.