beta
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.
Adjective
- Identifying a molecular position in an organic chemical compound.
- Designates the second in an order of precedence.
- Preliminary; prerelease. Refers to an incomplete version of a product released for initial testing.
- Associated with the beta male/female archetype.
Origin
Etymology tree Proto-Semitic *bayt- Phoenician 𐤁𐤕 (bt)bor. Ancient Greek βῆτᾰ (bêtă)bor. English beta Borrowed from Ancient Greek βῆτᾰ (bêtă). Doublet of beth.
Derived
beta amino acid beta-amino acid beta barrel beta-barrel beta blocker beta-blocker Betacam beta carbon nitride beta-carotene beta carotene beta cell beta coefficient beta decay beta emitter beta form 1-3 beta globin beta globulin beta-glucan beta-glucosidase beta helix beta lactam beta-lactam betalike Betamax
Noun Entry 2
- 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.
- An academic grade better than a gamma and worse than an alpha.
- But let me tell you happy extroverts that only Vera Telfer and H. A. C. Evans got even an alpha minus; only T. E. Hendrie got a beta plus […] - 1957, R. Avery, “This Week’s Competition”, in Time & Tide, volume 38,...
- Mr Taylor would hardly give a beta minus to one of his history students […] - 1964, Randolph Churchill, The Fight for the Tory Leadership: A Contemporary Chronicle, page 49:
- The English class was for me delightful. My essays, still written under the influence of Kubla Khan, nearly always got a beta plus. - 1979, Angus MacVicar, Silver in My Sporran: Confessions of a Writing Man, page 76:
- Average sensitivity of a security's price to overall securities market prices.
- An inspection of the results indicate that Property Trusts is the lowest risk industry with a long-run beta of 0.4520 while Gold is the highest risk industry with a long-run beta of 1.5229. - 2001, Cheng-Few Lee,...
- The phase of development after alpha testing and before launch, in which software, while not complete, has been released to potential users for testing.
- The company is offering a public beta program to test the software.
- Software in such a phase; a preliminary version.
- 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. - 2007, Michael Lopp, Managing Humans, page 107:
- We will assume you got the .tgz version—later 2.x series versions such as 2.5.2 or 2.6.0 should be okay, provided they are production releases (not alphas, betas, or release candidates). - 2007, Mark Summerfield, Rapid...
- Before Evolve had even seen its first beta, the game's publisher dipped its toe into presenting it as an eSport. - 2015 February 14, Steven Strom, “Evolve Review: Middle of the food chain”, in Ars Technica:
- Any kind of content from early development that was not used in the final product.
- beta levels; beta characters; beta items in a video game
- Information about a route which may aid someone in climbing it.
- A beta particle or beta ray.
- Sideslip angle.
- 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”).
- Ellipsis of beta male, a man who is less competent or desirable than an alpha male.
- “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.” - 2006, Catherine Mann, Blaze of...
- “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, L. A. Banks, “Dog Tired (of the Drama!)”, in Kevin J....
- 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...
Forms
Hyponyms
Derived
alpha-beta filter alphabetagamma alpha-beta pruning alternative beta amyloid-beta amyloid beta Becrux beta-antithrombin beta-beam beta blockade betabux betacetylmethadol beta chain beta city beta-compactification beta distribution beta error beta female beta fish beta function beta-hydroxyisovalerylshikonin beta iron betaish beta-lactamase
Noun Hinglish, India
- a term of endearment, used towards someone of equal or lower standing such as a friend or child, similar to brother or son
- Don't pick that up, beta, it's dirty.
Origin
Etymology tree Prakrit 𑀩𑀺𑀝𑁆𑀝 (biṭṭa) Middle Hindi بیٿا (byṭa) Hindi बेटा (beṭā)bor. English beta Borrowed from Hindi बेटा (beṭā).
Forms
Verb
- To preliminarily release computer software for initial testing prior to final release.
- To beta-read a text.
- 1999, sqira a., in alt.tv.x-files.creative http://groups.google.com/group/alt.tv.x-files.creative/msg/29d32d27e61755f2?dmode=source 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...
- 2002, Jane Davitt, in alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer.creative http://groups.google.com/group/alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer.creative/msg/9301606b391212c0?dmode=source The next part is written and beta'd (thanks, Jen!), ready to go but...