beta

== English == === Pronunciation === (UK) enPR: bēʹtə, IPA(key): /ˈbiːtə/ (US) enPR: bāʹtə, IPA(key): /ˈbeɪtə/, [ˈbeɪɾə] (Indic) enPR: bēʹtä, bāʹtä, IPA(key): /ˈbiʈɑ/, /ˈbeʈɑ/ (Philippines) enPR: bĕʹtə, IPA(key): /ˈbɛtə/ Rhymes: -iːtə, -eɪtə, (Philippines) -ɛtə Homophones: beater (UK, non-rhotic); baiter (US, non-rhotic) === Etymology 1 === From Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta). Doublet of beth. ==== Noun ==== beta (countable and uncountable, plural betas) 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. (education, rare) An academic grade better than a gamma and worse than an alpha. (finance) Average sensitivity of a security's price to overall securities market prices. (computing, video games) (uncountable) The phase of development after alpha testing and before launch, in which software, while not complete, has been released to potential users for testing. (countable) Software in such a phase; a preliminary version. (proscribed, uncountable) Any kind of content from early development that was not used in the final product. (climbing) Information about a route which may aid someone in climbing it. (physics) A beta particle or beta ray. (aviation) Sideslip angle. (aviation) The range of engine power settings in which the blade pitch angle of a constant-speed propeller is controlled directly by the angle of the engine's throttle lever (rather than varying with engine torque and airspeed to maintain a constant propeller RPM), allowing the propeller to be disked to generate high drag and slow the aircraft quickly. Alternative spelling of betta (“fish in the genus Betta”). (slang, manosphere, masculism) Ellipsis of beta male, a man who is less competent or desirable than an alpha male. (fandom slang) In omegaverse fiction, a person of a secondary sex similar to normal humans, lacking the biological drives of alphas and omegas but generally capable of bonding and mating with either. 2017, Marianne Gunderson, "What is an omega? Rewriting sex and gender in omegaverse fanfiction", thesis submitted to the University of Oslo, page 99: In ASD, the beta also functions as a contrast, as Yuri is assumed to be a beta before his first heat reveals his omega status. ===== Hyponyms ===== (unfinished software): closed beta open beta paid beta perpetual beta public beta ===== Coordinate terms ===== (sideslip angle): alpha, gamma, theta ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ===== See also ===== (Greek-script letter names) alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta, eta, theta, iota, kappa, lambda, mu, nu, xi, omicron, pi, rho, sigma, tau, upsilon, phi, chi, psi, omega ==== Adjective ==== beta (not comparable) Identifying a molecular position in an organic chemical compound. Designates the second in an order of precedence. (computing) Preliminary; prerelease. Refers to an incomplete version of a product released for initial testing. (of a person, object or action) Associated with the beta male/female archetype. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== beta (third-person singular simple present betas, present participle betaing, simple past and past participle betaed) (computing) To preliminarily release computer software for initial testing prior to final release. (chiefly Internet) To beta-read a text. 1999, sqira a., in alt.tv.x-files.creative [9] 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 [10] 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 [11] 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. === Etymology 2 === From Hindi बेटा (beṭā) ==== Noun ==== beta (countable and uncountable, plural betas) (North India, Pakistan, colloquial, Hinglish) a term of endearment, used towards someone of equal or lower standing such as a friend or child, similar to brother or son === Anagrams === Bate, Teba, abet, bate, beat == Ambonese Malay == === Alternative forms === bet, be === Etymology === From Classical Malay بيتا (beta, “I”). === Pronoun === beta I first-person singular pronoun === See also === === References === D. Takaria, C. Pieter (1998), Kamus Bahasa Melayu Ambon-Indonesia‎[12], Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa == Asturian == === Etymology === From Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta). === Noun === beta f (plural betes) beta (Greek letter) == Catalan == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˈbɛ.tə] IPA(key): (Valencia) [ˈbe.ta] === Etymology 1 === Borrowed from Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta). ==== Noun ==== beta f (plural betes) beta; the Greek letter Β (lowercase β) === Etymology 2 === Borrowed from Occitan beta. ==== Noun ==== beta f (plural betes) boat; specifically a small, flat-bottom boat common to the coasts of Provence and Languedoc === Further reading === “beta”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 == Czech == === Etymology === Borrowed from Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ˈbɛta] === Noun === beta n or f beta (Greek letter) ==== Declension ==== when feminine: Indeclinable when neuter. == Faroese == === Etymology === From Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta), ultimately from Proto-Semitic *bayt- (“house”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈpeːʰta/ Rhymes: -eːʰta Homophone: betað === Noun === beta n (genitive singular beta, plural betu) beta (Greek letter) ==== Declension ==== ==== Derived terms ==== betageisli m betageisling f == Galician == === Etymology === From Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta). === Noun === beta m (plural betas) beta (Greek letter) == Guyanese Creole English == === Noun === beta alternative spelling of baytah (“son”) === References === Henry, Edgar A. (2022), The Guyanese Slang Alphabet, Dorrance Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 41 == Icelandic == === Noun === beta f (genitive singular betu, nominative plural betur) orbeta n (genitive singular beta, nominative plural betu) beta (Greek letter) ==== Declension ==== == Indonesian == === Etymology 1 === Inherited from Malay beta, possibly from Hindi बेटा (beṭā, “son”). Some linguists propose that this word is a native derivation due to the similarity in form with kita (“we (inclusive)”). ==== Pronunciation ==== (Standard Indonesian) IPA(key): /ˈbeta/ [ˈbe.t̪a] Rhymes: -eta Syllabification: be‧ta ==== Noun ==== beta (dialectal) I, me, my Synonyms: aku, saya ===== Usage notes ===== The pronoun is obsolete in common use and limited in literature. It is also highly stereotypical of Maluku Islands (Moluccas) and East Nusa Tenggara. ===== References ===== Adelaar, K. A. (1992), Proto-Malayic: The reconstruction of its phonology and parts of its lexicon and morphology‎[13], Canberra: The Australian National University === Etymology 2 === From Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta). ==== Pronunciation ==== (Standard Indonesian) IPA(key): /ˈbeta/ [ˈbe.t̪a] Rhymes: -eta Syllabification: be‧ta ==== Noun ==== beta (plural beta-beta) beta (second letter of the Greek alphabet) === Etymology 3 === ==== Pronunciation ==== (Standard Indonesian) IPA(key): /bəˈta/ [bəˈt̪a] Rhymes: -a IPA(key): /ˈbeta/ [ˈbe.t̪a] Rhymes: -eta Syllabification: be‧ta ==== Noun ==== bêta or beta abbreviation of benda terbang aneh (“unidentified flying object”) === Further reading === “beta”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016 == Italian == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈbɛ.ta/ Rhymes: -ɛta Hyphenation: bè‧ta === Etymology 1 === From Latin bēta, from Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta). ==== Noun ==== beta f (invariable) the name of the Greek script letter Β/β; beta (computing) beta (software version) ===== Derived terms ===== betacismo ===== Related terms ===== bet === Etymology 2 === From Latin bēta (“beet”), from Celtic. ==== Noun ==== beta f (plural bete) alternative form of bieta; beet === Anagrams === beat, tabe == Jamaican Creole == === Adjective === beta comparative degree of gud: better == Japanese == === Romanization === beta Rōmaji transcription of ベタ == Latin == === Etymology 1 === Said by some sources to be of Celtic origin, but no obvious Celtic cognates exist; Ernout and Meillet adduce an apparently apocryphal Irish biatuis as cognate. Also compared are blitum (“spinach”), meta (“conic heap of stones”) (compared to the root's spindle form), and less likely, sense 2, with the seed vessel resembling the letter. ==== Noun ==== bēta f (genitive bētae); first declension A beet. ===== Declension ===== First-declension noun. ===== Descendants ===== === Etymology 2 === From Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta). ==== Noun ==== bēta n (indeclinable) The Greek letter beta. === References === === Further reading === “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, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887) Roberts, Edward A. (2014), A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Spanish Language with Families of Words based on Indo-European Roots, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN Berti-Pichat (1866) Baxter (1837) Poiret (1827) von Lippmann (1925) Geschwind & Sellier (1902) Pabst (1887) Becker-Dillengen (1928) Biancardi, Panella & Lewellen (2011): Beta maritima: The Origin of Beets == Malay == === Pronunciation === (Etymology 1): (schwa-variety) IPA(key): [be.tə] Rhymes: -etə, -tə, -ə (Baku) IPA(key): [be.ta] Rhymes: -eta, -ta, -a (Etymology 2): (Baku, schwa-variety) IPA(key): [be.ta] Rhymes: -eta, -ta, -a Hyphenation: be‧ta === Etymology 1 === (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.) ==== Pronoun ==== beta (Jawi spelling بيتا) (Palace Malay) I, me, my (exclusive use in royalty, subject is either king or queen) Synonyms: aku (informal), saya (polite), patik (used when talking to king/queen) ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Compounds ===== ===== See also ===== === Etymology 2 === Borrowed from English beta. ==== Noun ==== beta (Jawi spelling بيتا, plural beta-beta or beta2) beta (second letter of the Greek alphabet) === Further reading === "beta" in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (PRPM) [Malay Literary Reference Centre (PRPM)] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017 == Nigerian Pidgin == === Etymology === From English better. === Adjective === beta good; better == Old Irish == === Alternative forms === bete === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /bʲe.d̪a/ === Verb === beta third-person plural present subjunctive relative of is c. 845, St Gall Glosses on Priscian, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1975, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. II, pp. 49–224, Sg. 207b11 == Polish == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈbɛ.ta/ Rhymes: -ɛta Syllabification: be‧ta === Etymology 1 === Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta), from Phoenician 𐤁 (b‬ /⁠bēt⁠/). ==== Noun ==== beta f beta (Greek letter Β, β) ===== Declension ===== ===== Derived terms ===== === Etymology 2 === See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form. ==== Noun ==== beta m inan genitive/accusative singular of bet === Further reading === beta in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN beta in Polish dictionaries at PWN == Portuguese == === Pronunciation === Hyphenation: be‧ta === Etymology 1 === Borrowed from Latin beta, from Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta). ==== Noun ==== beta f (plural betas) beta (all senses) === Etymology 2 === ==== Noun ==== beta f (plural betas) beet (plant) === Etymology 3 === ==== Verb ==== beta inflection of betar: third-person singular present indicative second-person singular imperative === Further reading === “beta”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 “beta”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from French bêta. === Noun === beta m (plural beta) beta (Greek letter) ==== Declension ==== == Serbo-Croatian == === Etymology === Borrowed from Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /bêta/ Hyphenation: be‧ta === Noun === bȅta f (Cyrillic spelling бе̏та) beta, the Greek letter, Β, β ==== Declension ==== == Slovak == === Etymology === Borrowed from Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ˈbeta] === Noun === beta f (genitive singular bety, nominative plural bety, genitive plural biet, declension pattern of žena) OR beta n beta (Greek letter) ==== Usage notes ==== When used in the neuter gender, the word is not declined. ==== Declension ==== === References === “beta”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2026 == Spanish == === Etymology === Borrowed from Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta) ultimately from Proto-Semitic *bayt- (“house”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈbeta/ [ˈbe.t̪a] Rhymes: -eta Syllabification: be‧ta Homophone: veta === Noun === beta f (plural betas) beta; the Greek letter Β, β ==== Derived terms ==== === Further reading === “beta”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025 == Swedish == === Etymology 1 === Latin bēta, from Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta). ==== Noun ==== beta n or c beta; the Greek letter Β, β (computing) a beta version of a program (slang) short for minnesbeta ===== Declension ===== ==== Verb ==== beta (present betar, preterite betade, supine betat, imperative beta) to test software prior to release ===== Conjugation ===== === Etymology 2 === Ultimately from Latin bēta (“beet”). ==== Noun ==== beta c beetroot ===== Declension ===== === Etymology 3 === bete +‎ -a ==== Verb ==== beta (present betar, preterite betade, supine betat, imperative beta) to graze; to eat grass; to feed on growing herbage. ===== Conjugation ===== ===== See also ===== beta av bete === Etymology 4 === Clipping of betaga; be- +‎ ta. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.) ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /bɛˈtɑː/ ==== Verb ==== beta (present betar, preterite betog, supine betagit, imperative beta) to steal ===== Conjugation ===== === References === beta in Svensk ordbok (SO) beta in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL) beta in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)