beta
part of speech
noun (beta, betas); adjective (beta — of a version)
meaning for a pupil
1) Beta (β) is the second letter of the Greek alphabet, after alpha. tree →
2) A beta version of a game, app or program is an early version that is being tested by users before the final one. tree →
3) (science) Beta is used in names, like beta rays (a kind of radiation) and beta-carotene (the orange colour in carrots). tree →
4) (slang) «Beta» is used online as an insult for a weak or shy person; it is unkind. tree →
sense in the lessons
In maths and science lessons, Greek letters label angles and quantities: α (alpha), β (beta), γ (gamma). «Alphabet» comes from alpha + beta. In computing and gaming, «beta testing» means trying out a new program to find bugs. In science later, beta radiation is one of three kinds (alpha, beta, gamma). The slang meaning is a put-down from online talk; it is not kind. Phrases: «beta version», «beta test», «alpha and beta», «beta-carotene».
examples
- β is the Greek letter beta. tree →
- «Alphabet» comes from the Greek letters alpha and beta. tree →
- My brother joined the beta test of a new game. tree →
- The app is still in beta, so it has some bugs. tree →
- Carrots get their orange colour from beta-carotene. tree →
- In the diagram, angle beta is 40 degrees. tree →
- (slang) Calling someone «beta» online is a mean put-down. tree →
note
Say it "BEE-ta" (UK) or "BAY-ta" (US). Plural «betas». In maths, β is a label for a number or angle, not a fixed value. «Alpha» (first, top) and «beta» (second, test) often appear together.
In the corpora
- Carrots are orange because of beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A, needed for the eyes.
- In Hindi and some other Indian languages «beta» is a loving word for a child.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «beta» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.