betta

noun

bet·ta ˈbe-tə

: any of a genus (Betta of the family Anabantidae) of small brilliantly colored long-finned freshwater bony fishes of southeastern Asia

especially : siamese fighting fish

Examples of betta in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Originating from southeast Asia, betta fish are known for their diverse range of colors with over 70 different types of bettas. —

Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 2 June 2023 But the losses don’t mean the year has been without its fizzy intrigues, like the ongoing mystery over BubbleButt, a beloved blue betta fish who lived in Spanish teacher Ruben Navarette’s classroom. —

oregonlive, 2 June 2023 Everything’s betta with a little feta. —

Holly Baumbach, chicagotribune.com, 26 Aug. 2021 For centuries, humans have been captivated by the beauty of the betta. —

Annie Roth, Star Tribune, 5 June 2021 The betta's elaborate colors and long, flowing fins are the product of a millennium of careful selective breeding. —

Annie Roth, Star Tribune, 5 June 2021 The betta’s elaborate colors and long, flowing fins are the product of a millennium of careful selective breeding. —

New York Times, 14 May 2021 An unnamed blue betta, the fish was dying as the temperature inside Oyo’s apartment dropped overnight due to an ongoing power shortage. —

Nic Garcia, Dallas News, 16 Feb. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'betta.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin Betta, genus name, borrowed from Javanese betah (phonetically b̥ətah with breathy voice following b̥), in the phrase wader betah (wader "any of various freshwater fishes"), probably the same word as betah "endure" (going back to Old Javanese bĕtah "possessing staying power, tenacious, stubborn")

Note: The genus name Betta was introduced by the Dutch physician and ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker (1819-78) in "Bijdrage tot de kennis der ichthyologische fauna van Midden- en Oost-Java," Verhandelingen van het Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschapen, Deel 23 (1850), p. 14. Bleeker lists the local name (nomen indigenum) of his Betta trifasciata at Ambarawa (central Java) as "Ikan Wader betta" (with Malay ikan "fish" prefacing all the indigenous names).

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of betta was in 1887

See more words from the same year