betta

American

[bet-uh] / ˈbɛt ə /

noun

fighting fish.

betta British

/ ˈbɛtə /

noun

another name for fighting fish

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of betta

1925–30; < New Latin < ?

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Claudius lives on in our newsroom as a well-fed betta fish.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025

At first she kept every angelfish, betta and gourami.

From New York Times • Mar. 17, 2023

At the end of her freshman year at the University of Tampa in May, Kira Rumfola packed her bags and headed to the airport with her favorite roommate: a colorful betta fish named Theo.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 30, 2022

It featured five robots controlled by betta fish and was “designed to explore interspecies and trans-species communication,” according to Rinaldo’s website.

From The Verge • Jan. 4, 2022

"Boy, you betta get your behind on up to that school."

From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023