betamax
/bˈeɪtəmæks/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.14 in modern English
18
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
name
A home videocassette recording format developed by Sony in 1975, now known for having lost the format war to VHS.
noun
a Betamax (videocassette tape)
noun
coagulated chicken blood that is boiled, cut in to cubes, skewered and grilled to be sold as a street food
Informal
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "DRM can't stop piracy, but it can prevent anyone from Betamaxing another industry, commercializing disruptive technology development without content-industry sanction."
- "CRIMM RDRAM offered dramatic possibilities for high-speed PCs but ran into three roadblocks that Betamaxed it."
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.
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Food.