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

However, the researchers, led by the study's lead author, Israel Finkelstein, believe the letter "B" is there and it is not a reference to "beth," the Hebrew word for "house," but rather Balak.

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

For these orders of beggers, for endeless wynnynges that thei geteth by beggyng of the forseide pryvyleges of schriftes and sepultures and othere, thei beth now so multiplyed in conventes and in persons.

From Bibliomania in the Middle Ages by Merryweather, Frederick Somner