I. ˈbād.ə, -ātə also ˈbē- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Greek bēta, of Semitic origin; akin to Hebrew bēth- — more at beth
1. : the second letter of the Greek alphabet — symbol B or β; see alphabet table
2. : beta particle , beta ray
II. adjective
or β- “
1. : of or relating to one of two or more closely related chemical substances
β-yohimbine
— used somewhat arbitrarily to specify ordinal relationship or to specify a particular physical form, especially an allotropic modification (as in β-iron), or an isomeric or sometimes polymeric or stereoisomeric form (as in β-D-glucose); abbreviation sometimes b-
2. : second in position in the structure of an organic molecule from a particular group or atom or having a structure characterized by such a position
the beta positions of furan
β-hydroxy acids
β-naphthol
3. : producing a zone of decolorization when grown on blood media — used of certain hemolytic streptococci or of the hemolysis they cause
4. : second in order of brightness — used of a star in a constellation
III. ˈbēd.ə, -ētə noun
Usage: capitalized
Etymology: New Latin, from Latin, beet — more at beet
: a small genus of glabrous succulent herbs (family Chenopodiaceae) having greenish flowers and aggregate fruits — see beet , chard , sea beet
IV. noun
1. : a measure of the risk potential of a stock or investment portfolio expressed as a ratio of the stock's or portfolio's volatility to the volatility of the market as a whole
2. often attributive : a nearly complete prototype of a product (as software) not yet ready for commercial release
beta version