First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1beta
noun be·ta \ˈbā-tə, chiefly British ˈbē-\
: the second letter of the Greek alphabet
: a version of a product (such as a computer program) that is almost finished and that is used for testing
Full Definition of BETA
1
: the 2d letter of the Greek alphabet — see alphabet table
2
3
: a measure of the risk potential of a stock or an investment portfolio expressed as a ratio of the stock's or portfolio's volatility to the volatility of the market as a whole
4
: a nearly complete prototype of a product (as software) <released in beta> <the beta version>
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Origin of BETA
Middle English betha, from Latin beta, from Greek bēta, of Semitic origin; akin to Hebrew bēth beth
2beta
adjective
Definition of BETA
: second in position in the structure of an organic molecule from a particular group or atom <beta substitution> —often used in combination —symbol β
First Known Use of BETA
1862
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