beth

¹ American  

[beys, beyt, bet] / beɪs, beɪt, bɛt /

Also bet

noun

1. the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

2. either of the consonant sounds represented by this letter.

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Beth ² American  

[beth] / bɛθ /

noun

1. a first name, form of Elizabeth.

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beth British  

/ bɛt /

noun

1. the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet (ב) transliterated as b

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Etymology

Origin of beth

First recorded in 1905–10; from Hebrew bēth literally, “house”; beta

Example Sentences

Then there is a legible beth, followed by a partially eroded, partially broken section with space for two letters, followed by a waw and an unclear letter.

From Fox News • May 2, 2019

It culminates in an appearance before a three-judge religious panel known as a beth din, and a trip to a mikvah, the ritual bath.

From The New Yorker • Aug. 15, 2016

The advert says: “We inform the public that the London beth din has informed the constituent synagogues of the United Synagogue that Mr John Abayahoudayan should be refused entry into any such synagogue.”

From The Guardian • Nov. 8, 2015

In fact, the word alphabet comes directly from the first two letters of the Phoenician alphabet: aleph and beth.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2012

This quene bytokenyth virgyns and damesels, þat goth fro chastite to synne, and beth ytake by the devill, for glovis or such maner yiftis.

From Game and Playe of the Chesse A Verbatim Reprint of the First Edition, 1474 by Caxton, William