Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
name
A home videocassette recording format developed by Sony in 1975, now known for having lost the format war to VHS.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: Beta
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a Betamax (videocassette tape)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
coagulated chicken blood that is boiled, cut in to cubes, skewered and grilled to be sold as a street food
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Philippines, informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To make (something) obsolete.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
According to Sony, the name had a double meaning: beta is the Japanese word used to describe the way in which signals are recorded on the tape; and the shape of the Greek letter beta β resembles the course of the tape through the transport. The suffix -max, from maximum, was added to suggest greatness.
Genericized trademark from Betamax. The food is named from their resemblance to the cuboidal videocassettes.
