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beta

 - 9 dictionary results

be⋅ta

  [bey-tuh or, especially Brit., bee-]
–noun
1. the second letter of the Greek alphabet (β, B).
2. the consonant sound represented by this letter.
3. (initial capital letter) Astronomy. a star that is usually the second brightest of a constellation: The second brightest star in Taurus is Beta Tauri.
4. Chemistry.
a. one of the possible positions of an atom or group in a compound.
b. one of two or more isomeric compounds.
5. the second of any series, as in chemistry or physics.
6. Also called beta coefficient, beta line. Stock Exchange. an arbitrary measure of the volatility of a given stock using an index of the volatility of the market as a whole: A beta of 1.1 indicates a stock that is 10 percent more volatile than the market.
7. (initial capital letter) Trademark. a brand of tape format for VCR tape, incompatible with other formats. Compare VHS.
8. Chiefly British. a grade showing that a student is in the middle or second of three scholastic sections in a class. Compare alpha (def. 7), gamma (def. 9).
Use beta in a Sentence
Origin:
< L < Gk bêta < Sem; cf. Heb bēth beth
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To beta
be·ta   (bā'tə, bē'-)   
n.  

  1. The second letter of the Greek alphabet. See Table at alphabet.

  2. The second item in a series or system of classification.

  3. 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.

  4. Physics

    1. A beta particle.

    2. A beta ray.

    3. The second position from a designated carbon atom in an organic molecule at which an atom or a radical may be substituted.

    4. An isomeric variation of a chemical compound. Used in combination: beta-estradiol.

  5. Chemistry

    1. The second position from a designated carbon atom in an organic molecule at which an atom or a radical may be substituted.

    2. An isomeric variation of a chemical compound. Used in combination: beta-estradiol.

  6. Computer Science A beta version.


[Greek bēta, of Phoenician origin; see byt in Semitic roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Financial Dictionary

Beta

A measure of a security's or portfolio's volatility, or systematic risk, in comparison to the market as a whole. Also known as "beta coefficient."

Investopedia Commentary

Beta is calculated using regression analysis, and you can think of beta as the tendency of a security's returns to respond to swings in the market. A beta of 1 indicates that the security's price will move with the market. A beta less than 1 means that the security will be less volatile than the market. A beta greater than 1 indicates that the security's price will be more volatile than the market. For example, if a stock's beta is 1.2 it's theoretically 20% more volatile than the market.

Many utilities stocks have a beta of less than 1. Conversely most high-tech Nasdaq-based stocks have a beta greater than 1, offering the possibility of a higher rate of return but also posing more risk.

Related Links

Beta: Know the Risk
Beta: Gauging Price Fluctuations
Understanding Volatility Measurements
Getting To Know The "Greeks"

See also: CAPM, CML, Systematic Risk, Volatility, Weighted Average Cost of Capital - WACC

Investopedia.com. Copyright © 1999-2005 - All rights reserved. Owned and Operated by Investopedia Inc.
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beta

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 high beta (greater than 1.0) indicates moderate or high price volatility. A beta of 1.5 forecasts a 1.5% change in the return on an asset for every 1% change in the return on the market. High-beta stocks are best to own in a strong bull market but are worst to own in a bear market. See also alpha, capital-asset pricing model, characteristic line, portfolio beta.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms by David L. Scott.
Copyright © 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 1be·ta
Pronunciation: 'bAt-&, chiefly Brit 'bE-t&
Function: noun
1 : the second letter of the Greekalphabet —symbol B or β
2 : BETA PARTICLE
3 : BETA WAVE

Main Entry: 2beta
Variant: or β-
Function: adjective
1 : of or relating to one of two or more closely related chemicalsubstances beta chain of hemoglobin> <β-yohimbine> —used somewhat arbitrarily to specify ordinal relationship or a particular physical form and especially one that isallotropic, isomeric, stereoisomeric, or sometimes polymeric (as in β-D-glucose)
2 : second in position in the structure of an organic molecule from aparticular group or atom; also : occurring at or having a structure characterized by such a position <beta substitution>
3 : producing a zone ofdecolorization when grown on blood media —used of some hemolytic streptococci or of the hemolysis they cause
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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beta be·ta (bā'tə, bē'-)
n.


  1. Symbol β The second letter of the Greek alphabet.

  2. The second item in a series or system of classification.

  3. A beta particle.

  4. A beta ray.

adj.

  1. Of or relating to the second position from a designated carbon atom in an organic molecule at which an atom or a radical may be substituted.

  2. Of or relating to an isomeric variation of a chemical compound, such as a stereoisomer.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Computing Dictionary

BETA
Kristensen, Madsen , Moller-Pedersen & Nygaard, 1983. Object-oriented language with block structure, coroutines, concurrency, strong typing, part objects, separate objects and classless objects. Central feature is a single abstraction mechanism called "patterns", a generalisation of classes, providing instantiation and hierarchical inheritance for all objects including procedures and processes.
Mjolner Informatics ApS, Aarhus, implementations for Mac, Sun, HP, Apollo.
E-mail: .
Mailing list: .
["Object-Oriented Programming in the BETA Programming Language", Ole Lehrmann et al, A-W June 1993, ISBN 0-201-62430-3].
[The Jargon File]
(1995-10-31)

beta
/bay't*/, /be't*/ or (Commonwealth) /bee't*/
See beta conversion, beta test.
[The Jargon File]

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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