| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| Bethe (bā'tə) Pronunciation Key
German-born American physicist who was instrumental in the development of quantum physics. Bethe also played an important role in the development of the atomic bomb, later working to educate the public about the threat of nuclear weapons. In 1967 he received a Nobel Prize for explaining that the Sun and other stars derive their energy from a series of nuclear reactions which came to be known as the carbon cycle, or Bethe cycle. |