betta

noun

bet·​ta ˈbe-tə 

: any of a genus (Betta of the family Osphronemidae) 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

The unique fighting fish, or betta fish, turned out to be a new rare species, according to a May 15 study published in the journal ZooKeys. —Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 16 May 2025

Fighting Fish Fish fighting is a sport in which two fish, often of aggressive species like bettas or cichlids, are placed in a small enclosure to engage in combat. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025

There are over 70 different types of bettas out there. —Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 7 Nov. 2024

In captivity, betta fish typically live two to five years, according to Adelphi University. —Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 7 Nov. 2024

There's shrimp smaller than a pinky nail, starfish, transparent fish, fish with weird heads, clownfish, the Dory fish, fish that looked like tiny sharks, betta fish, angry fish and a fish that looked like a Dalmatian. —Nicole Cobler, Axios, 5 Aug. 2024

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

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

Rhymes for betta

• keta
• setae
• beretta
• vendetta
• henrietta
• operetta
• typothetae
• periplaneta

Kids Definition

betta

noun

bet·​ta ˈbet-ə 

: any of a genus of small brilliantly colored long-finned freshwater fishes of southeastern Asia