beta

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“
The ancient Greeks borrowed from the Hebrew by turning aleph and bet (the first two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, respectively) into alpha and beta, which is where the English word originates.

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Definitions (16)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (8)

  1. noun The second letter of the Greek alphabet. See Table at alphabet.
  2. noun The second item in a series or system of classification.
  3. noun A mathematical measure of the sensitivity of rates of return on a portfolio or a given stock compared with rates of return on the market as a whole. A beta of 1.0 indicates that an asset closely follows the market; a beta greater than 1.0 indicates greater volatility than the market.
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Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

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Examples

  • It is two drugs in one-what we call a beta-blocker and a diuretic. —  Blue Shoes And Happiness
  • The ancient Greeks borrowed from the Hebrew by turning aleph and bet (the first two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, respectively) into alpha and beta, which is where the English word originates. —  mental_floss Blog
  • It seems they're having some difficulties getting their boats rigged, "explained the lord chamberlain. —  The Kinslayer Wars
  • 'Thousands of other boys tried out,' Jannie said. —  Pop Goes The Weasel
  • "hemoglobin beta chain (valine replacing glutamate in position —  VERBATIM: The Language Quarterly Vol XI No 3
 

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Beta has been looked up 1126 times, favorited 0 times, listed 22 times, and commented on 6 times.

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Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Greek bēta, of Phoenician origin; see byt in Semitic roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. Latin, representing Greek βῆτα, name of the character B, β.
  2. Fijian name.
 

Pronunciations
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/ˈbeɪtə/
by American Heritage
by Patrick Kennedy

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