Betamax
Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word Betamax. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word Betamax, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say Betamax in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word Betamax you have here. The definition of the word Betamax will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofBetamax, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: betamax
English
Etymology
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.
Proper noun
Betamax
- A home videocassette recording format developed by Sony in 1975, now known for having lost the format war to VHS.
- Synonym: Beta
Verb
Betamax (third-person singular simple present Betamaxes, present participle Betamaxing, simple past and past participle Betamaxed)
- (transitive, informal) To make (something) obsolete.
- 2006, Ian David Aronson, DV Filmmaking: From Start to Finish, volume 1, O'Reilly Media, →ISBN, page 98:
- If you don’t want to get Betamaxed, or stuck with a dated technology, it might be a good idea to purchase the latest, fastest computer available.
- 2008, Chris DiBona, Mark Stone, and Danese Cooper, Open Sources 2.0: The Continuing Evolution, O'Reilly Media, →ISBN, page 159:
- DRM can't stop piracy, but it can prevent anyone from Betamaxing another industry, commercializing disruptive technology development without content-industry sanction.
- 2012, Michael Meyers, CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, edition 8, McGraw Hill Professional, →ISBN, page 253:
- CRIMM RDRAM offered dramatic possibilities for high-speed PCs but ran into three roadblocks that Betamaxed it.
