See betty in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
{ "etymology_text": "From Betty (nickname for “Elizabeth”). In thieves’ cant a tool for wrenching locked doors is also called a Bess (from “Elizabeth”) or a Jenny. The “attractive woman” sense may relate to the character Betty Rubble in the cartoon The Flintstones.", "forms": [ { "form": "betties", "tags": [ "plural" ] } ], "head_templates": [ { "args": {}, "expansion": "betty (plural betties)", "name": "en-noun" } ], "lang": "English", "lang_code": "en", "pos": "noun", "senses": [ { "categories": [], "examples": [ { "ref": "1712, Humphry Polesworth [pseudonym; John Arbuthnot], “The Preface”, in Lewis Baboon Turned Honest, and John Bull Politician. Being the Fourth Part of Law is a Bottomless-Pit. […], London: […] John Morphew, […], →OCLC:", "text": "No modern Lycæum vvill ever equal thy Glory, […] deſcribing the povverful Betty, or the artful Picklock, […]", "type": "quote" } ], "glosses": [ "A short bar used by thieves to wrench doors open; a jimmy." ], "id": "en-betty-en-noun-p2h0UVKT", "links": [ [ "bar", "bar" ], [ "thieves", "thief" ], [ "door", "door" ], [ "jimmy", "jimmy" ] ], "raw_glosses": [ "(slang) A short bar used by thieves to wrench doors open; a jimmy." ], "synonyms": [ { "_dis1": "65 7 5 5 10 2 5 0", "sense": "bar used by thieves to open doors", "word": "bettee" } ], "tags": [ "slang" ] }, { "categories": [ { "_dis": "16 28 15 13 11 2 7 7", "kind": "topical", "langcode": "en", "name": "Tools", "orig": "en:Tools", "parents": [ "Technology", "All topics", "Fundamental" ], "source": "w+disamb" } ], "examples": [ { "ref": "1958, Will Thomas, To Kingdom Come, page 161:", "text": "After a quick meal at a tea shop, we found ourselves in the hallway at the Midland Hotel, where he removed a skeleton key, or “betty” as he called it, from his pocket and inserted it in the keyhole. […] Once they were out of sight, I fumbled about with the betty for a few moments before the lock finally clicked open.", "type": "quote" } ], "glosses": [ "A picklock, skeleton key; a tool for opening locks." ], "id": "en-betty-en-noun-gimO5xRc", "links": [ [ "picklock", "picklock" ], [ "skeleton key", "skeleton key" ], [ "lock", "lock" ] ], "raw_glosses": [ "(slang) A picklock, skeleton key; a tool for opening locks." ], "tags": [ "slang" ] }, { "categories": [ { "_dis": "9 7 13 29 26 6 3 7", "kind": "other", "name": "English Thieves' Cant", "parents": [], "source": "w+disamb" }, { "_dis": "3 4 14 37 35 1 1 5", "kind": "other", "name": "English entries with incorrect language header", "parents": [ "Entries with incorrect language header", "Entry maintenance" ], "source": "w+disamb" }, { "_dis": "2 4 17 35 36 1 2 3", "kind": "other", "name": "Pages with 1 entry", "parents": [], "source": "w+disamb" }, { "_dis": "2 2 18 37 35 1 2 3", "kind": "other", "name": "Pages with entries", "parents": [], "source": "w+disamb" }, { "_dis": "10 0 31 15 10 34 0 1", "kind": "topical", "langcode": "en", "name": "People", "orig": "en:People", "parents": [ "Human", "All topics", "Fundamental" ], "source": "w+disamb" } ], "glosses": [ "A man who performs tasks that traditionally belong to a woman; (originally) an effeminate or gay man." ], "hyponyms": [ { "_dis1": "1 3 61 12 14 8", "sense": "man who performs a woman's tasks", "word": "househusband" } ], "id": "en-betty-en-noun-O6gXHeHN", "links": [ [ "derogatory", "derogatory" ], [ "man", "man" ], [ "woman", "woman" ], [ "effeminate", "effeminate" ], [ "gay", "gay" ] ], "raw_glosses": [ "(archaic, derogatory) A man who performs tasks that traditionally belong to a woman; (originally) an effeminate or gay man." ], "synonyms": [ { "_dis1": "1 3 61 12 14 8", "sense": "man who performs a woman's tasks", "word": "cot-betty" }, { "_dis1": "1 3 61 12 14 8", "sense": "man who performs a woman's tasks", "word": "cot-quean" }, { "_dis1": "1 3 61 12 14 8", "sense": "man who performs a woman's tasks", "word": "henhussy" }, { "_dis1": "1 3 61 12 14 8", "sense": "man who performs a woman's tasks", "word": "molly" } ], "tags": [ "archaic", "derogatory" ] }, { "categories": [ { "kind": "other", "name": "American English", "parents": [], "source": "w" }, { "_dis": "9 7 13 29 26 6 3 7", "kind": "other", "name": "English Thieves' Cant", "parents": [], "source": "w+disamb" }, { "_dis": "3 4 14 37 35 1 1 5", "kind": "other", "name": "English entries with incorrect language header", "parents": [ "Entries with incorrect language header", "Entry maintenance" ], "source": "w+disamb" }, { "_dis": "2 4 17 35 36 1 2 3", "kind": "other", "name": "Pages with 1 entry", "parents": [], "source": "w+disamb" }, { "_dis": "2 2 18 37 35 1 2 3", "kind": "other", "name": "Pages with entries", "parents": [], "source": "w+disamb" }, { "_dis": "7 12 21 33 19 1 3 4", "kind": "topical", "langcode": "en", "name": "Containers", "orig": "en:Containers", "parents": [ "Tools", "Technology", "All topics", "Fundamental" ], "source": "w+disamb" }, { "_dis": "10 0 31 15 10 34 0 1", "kind": "topical", "langcode": "en", "name": "People", "orig": "en:People", "parents": [ "Human", "All topics", "Fundamental" ], "source": "w+disamb" } ], "examples": [ { "ref": "1841, Acts and Resolutions Passed at the First Session of the Twenty-Seventh Congress of the United States:", "text": "On olive oil in casks, twenty cents per gallon; olive salad oil in bottles or betties, thirty per centum ad valorem", "type": "quote" } ], "glosses": [ "A pear-shaped bottle covered with straw, in which olive oil is sometimes brought from Italy; a Florence flask." ], "id": "en-betty-en-noun-9mbk64-6", "links": [ [ "pear", "pear" ], [ "bottle", "bottle" ], [ "straw", "straw" ], [ "olive oil", "olive oil" ], [ "Italy", "Italy" ], [ "Florence flask", "Florence flask" ] ], "raw_glosses": [ "(US, archaic) A pear-shaped bottle covered with straw, in which olive oil is sometimes brought from Italy; a Florence flask." ], "tags": [ "US", "archaic" ] }, { "categories": [ { "_dis": "9 7 13 29 26 6 3 7", "kind": "other", "name": "English Thieves' Cant", "parents": [], "source": "w+disamb" }, { "_dis": "3 4 14 37 35 1 1 5", "kind": "other", "name": "English entries with incorrect language header", "parents": [ "Entries with incorrect language header", "Entry maintenance" ], "source": "w+disamb" }, { "_dis": "2 4 17 35 36 1 2 3", "kind": "other", "name": "Pages with 1 entry", "parents": [], "source": "w+disamb" }, { "_dis": "2 2 18 37 35 1 2 3", "kind": "other", "name": "Pages with entries", "parents": [], "source": "w+disamb" } ], "examples": [ { "ref": "2021 November 9, “Apple-Almond Brave Betty”, in Midwest Living:", "text": "A pie-size betty is traditional, but if you like, assemble the recipe in individual ovenproof ramekins.", "type": "quote" } ], "glosses": [ "A baked dessert made with alternating layers of sweetened fruit and buttered bread crumbs." ], "id": "en-betty-en-noun-linH34~x", "links": [ [ "dessert", "dessert" ], [ "alternating", "alternating" ] ] }, { "categories": [ { "_dis": "10 0 31 15 10 34 0 1", "kind": "topical", "langcode": "en", "name": "People", "orig": "en:People", "parents": [ "Human", "All topics", "Fundamental" ], "source": "w+disamb" } ], "examples": [ { "ref": "1995, Amy Heckerling, Clueless, spoken by Cher (Alicia Silverstone):", "text": "Isn't my house classic? The columns date all the way back to 1972. Wasn't my Mom a betty? She died when I was just a baby. A fluke accident during a routine liposuction. I don't remember her, but I like to pretend she still watches over me.", "type": "quote" } ], "glosses": [ "An attractive woman; a babe." ], "id": "en-betty-en-noun-u1dl9wVo", "links": [ [ "babe", "babe" ] ], "qualifier": "slightly pejorative", "raw_glosses": [ "(slang, slightly pejorative) An attractive woman; a babe." ], "synonyms": [ { "_dis1": "0 1 5 0 1 93", "sense": "attractive woman", "word": "beautiful woman" } ], "tags": [ "slang" ] } ], "sounds": [ { "ipa": "/bɛti/" }, { "audio": "En-au-betty.ogg", "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/12/En-au-betty.ogg/En-au-betty.ogg.mp3", "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/En-au-betty.ogg" }, { "rhymes": "-ɛti" } ], "synonyms": [ { "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0", "word": "Betty" } ], "wikipedia": [ "Betty Rubble", "Green's Dictionary of Slang" ], "word": "betty" } { "etymology_text": "From Betty (nickname for “Elizabeth”). In thieves’ cant a tool for wrenching locked doors is also called a Bess (from “Elizabeth”) or a Jenny. The “attractive woman” sense may relate to the character Betty Rubble in the cartoon The Flintstones.", "forms": [ { "form": "betties", "tags": [ "present", "singular", "third-person" ] }, { "form": "bettying", "tags": [ "participle", "present" ] }, { "form": "bettied", "tags": [ "participle", "past" ] }, { "form": "bettied", "tags": [ "past" ] } ], "head_templates": [ { "args": {}, "expansion": "betty (third-person singular simple present betties, present participle bettying, simple past and past participle bettied)", "name": "en-verb" } ], "lang": "English", "lang_code": "en", "pos": "verb", "senses": [ { "categories": [], "examples": [ { "ref": "1976, Michael Crichton, The Great Train Robbery, page 185:", "text": "“Well then,” he said. “Let’s say you can betty the lock, hang on a rope, and break the drum, and then lock up again with nobody the wiser. How do I get on in the first place, past the Scots jack, with his sharp cool?”", "type": "quote" }, { "ref": "2013, Zack Wentz, “Simplicity itself”, in Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, volume 10, page 161:", "text": "The forty quid! Gone! ’Ow could she ’ave gotten in there? The peter ain’t broke, no sign of it bein’ bettied, and I the only one w’ the key.", "type": "quote" } ], "glosses": [ "To pick a lock, to open with a betty." ], "id": "en-betty-en-verb-WijP33O9", "links": [ [ "pick", "pick" ], [ "lock", "lock" ] ] }, { "categories": [], "examples": [ { "ref": "1877 August 16, Julia Dartman, “Aunty Di”, in The Youth’s Companion, page 1:", "text": "“I’m perfectly well, thank you, Miss Hester,” she said, coldly. “I detest being bettied.”", "type": "quote" }, { "ref": "1897, W.H. Rudd, “Johnny cakes”, in The Poultry Monthly, volume XIX, page 371:", "text": "If anything on earth is reprehensible in a man and disgusting to a woman, it is to have said man hen-hussying and bettying about the kitchen", "type": "quote" } ], "glosses": [ "To be overly attentive to someone or something." ], "id": "en-betty-en-verb-NXkgcafQ", "links": [ [ "attentive", "attentive" ] ], "raw_glosses": [ "(archaic) To be overly attentive to someone or something." ], "tags": [ "archaic" ] } ], "sounds": [ { "ipa": "/bɛti/" }, { "audio": "En-au-betty.ogg", "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/12/En-au-betty.ogg/En-au-betty.ogg.mp3", "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/En-au-betty.ogg" }, { "rhymes": "-ɛti" } ], "synonyms": [ { "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0", "word": "Betty" } ], "wikipedia": [ "Betty Rubble", "Green's Dictionary of Slang" ], "word": "betty" }
{ "categories": [ "English Thieves' Cant", "English countable nouns", "English entries with incorrect language header", "English lemmas", "English nouns", "English verbs", "Pages with 1 entry", "Pages with entries", "Rhymes:English/ɛti", "Rhymes:English/ɛti/2 syllables", "en:Containers", "en:People", "en:Tools" ], "etymology_text": "From Betty (nickname for “Elizabeth”). In thieves’ cant a tool for wrenching locked doors is also called a Bess (from “Elizabeth”) or a Jenny. The “attractive woman” sense may relate to the character Betty Rubble in the cartoon The Flintstones.", "forms": [ { "form": "betties", "tags": [ "plural" ] } ], "head_templates": [ { "args": {}, "expansion": "betty (plural betties)", "name": "en-noun" } ], "hyponyms": [ { "sense": "man who performs a woman's tasks", "word": "househusband" } ], "lang": "English", "lang_code": "en", "pos": "noun", "senses": [ { "categories": [ "English slang", "English terms with quotations" ], "examples": [ { "ref": "1712, Humphry Polesworth [pseudonym; John Arbuthnot], “The Preface”, in Lewis Baboon Turned Honest, and John Bull Politician. Being the Fourth Part of Law is a Bottomless-Pit. […], London: […] John Morphew, […], →OCLC:", "text": "No modern Lycæum vvill ever equal thy Glory, […] deſcribing the povverful Betty, or the artful Picklock, […]", "type": "quote" } ], "glosses": [ "A short bar used by thieves to wrench doors open; a jimmy." ], "links": [ [ "bar", "bar" ], [ "thieves", "thief" ], [ "door", "door" ], [ "jimmy", "jimmy" ] ], "raw_glosses": [ "(slang) A short bar used by thieves to wrench doors open; a jimmy." ], "tags": [ "slang" ] }, { "categories": [ "English slang", "English terms with quotations" ], "examples": [ { "ref": "1958, Will Thomas, To Kingdom Come, page 161:", "text": "After a quick meal at a tea shop, we found ourselves in the hallway at the Midland Hotel, where he removed a skeleton key, or “betty” as he called it, from his pocket and inserted it in the keyhole. […] Once they were out of sight, I fumbled about with the betty for a few moments before the lock finally clicked open.", "type": "quote" } ], "glosses": [ "A picklock, skeleton key; a tool for opening locks." ], "links": [ [ "picklock", "picklock" ], [ "skeleton key", "skeleton key" ], [ "lock", "lock" ] ], "raw_glosses": [ "(slang) A picklock, skeleton key; a tool for opening locks." ], "tags": [ "slang" ] }, { "categories": [ "English derogatory terms", "English terms with archaic senses" ], "glosses": [ "A man who performs tasks that traditionally belong to a woman; (originally) an effeminate or gay man." ], "links": [ [ "derogatory", "derogatory" ], [ "man", "man" ], [ "woman", "woman" ], [ "effeminate", "effeminate" ], [ "gay", "gay" ] ], "raw_glosses": [ "(archaic, derogatory) A man who performs tasks that traditionally belong to a woman; (originally) an effeminate or gay man." ], "tags": [ "archaic", "derogatory" ] }, { "categories": [ "American English", "English terms with archaic senses", "English terms with quotations" ], "examples": [ { "ref": "1841, Acts and Resolutions Passed at the First Session of the Twenty-Seventh Congress of the United States:", "text": "On olive oil in casks, twenty cents per gallon; olive salad oil in bottles or betties, thirty per centum ad valorem", "type": "quote" } ], "glosses": [ "A pear-shaped bottle covered with straw, in which olive oil is sometimes brought from Italy; a Florence flask." ], "links": [ [ "pear", "pear" ], [ "bottle", "bottle" ], [ "straw", "straw" ], [ "olive oil", "olive oil" ], [ "Italy", "Italy" ], [ "Florence flask", "Florence flask" ] ], "raw_glosses": [ "(US, archaic) A pear-shaped bottle covered with straw, in which olive oil is sometimes brought from Italy; a Florence flask." ], "tags": [ "US", "archaic" ] }, { "categories": [ "English terms with quotations" ], "examples": [ { "ref": "2021 November 9, “Apple-Almond Brave Betty”, in Midwest Living:", "text": "A pie-size betty is traditional, but if you like, assemble the recipe in individual ovenproof ramekins.", "type": "quote" } ], "glosses": [ "A baked dessert made with alternating layers of sweetened fruit and buttered bread crumbs." ], "links": [ [ "dessert", "dessert" ], [ "alternating", "alternating" ] ] }, { "categories": [ "English slang", "English terms with quotations" ], "examples": [ { "ref": "1995, Amy Heckerling, Clueless, spoken by Cher (Alicia Silverstone):", "text": "Isn't my house classic? The columns date all the way back to 1972. Wasn't my Mom a betty? She died when I was just a baby. A fluke accident during a routine liposuction. I don't remember her, but I like to pretend she still watches over me.", "type": "quote" } ], "glosses": [ "An attractive woman; a babe." ], "links": [ [ "babe", "babe" ] ], "qualifier": "slightly pejorative", "raw_glosses": [ "(slang, slightly pejorative) An attractive woman; a babe." ], "tags": [ "slang" ] } ], "sounds": [ { "ipa": "/bɛti/" }, { "audio": "En-au-betty.ogg", "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/12/En-au-betty.ogg/En-au-betty.ogg.mp3", "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/En-au-betty.ogg" }, { "rhymes": "-ɛti" } ], "synonyms": [ { "sense": "attractive woman", "word": "beautiful woman" }, { "sense": "man who performs a woman's tasks", "word": "cot-betty" }, { "sense": "man who performs a woman's tasks", "word": "cot-quean" }, { "sense": "man who performs a woman's tasks", "word": "henhussy" }, { "sense": "man who performs a woman's tasks", "word": "molly" }, { "sense": "bar used by thieves to open doors", "word": "bettee" }, { "word": "Betty" } ], "wikipedia": [ "Betty Rubble", "Green's Dictionary of Slang" ], "word": "betty" } { "categories": [ "English Thieves' Cant", "English countable nouns", "English entries with incorrect language header", "English lemmas", "English nouns", "English verbs", "Pages with 1 entry", "Pages with entries", "Rhymes:English/ɛti", "Rhymes:English/ɛti/2 syllables", "en:Containers", "en:People", "en:Tools" ], "etymology_text": "From Betty (nickname for “Elizabeth”). In thieves’ cant a tool for wrenching locked doors is also called a Bess (from “Elizabeth”) or a Jenny. The “attractive woman” sense may relate to the character Betty Rubble in the cartoon The Flintstones.", "forms": [ { "form": "betties", "tags": [ "present", "singular", "third-person" ] }, { "form": "bettying", "tags": [ "participle", "present" ] }, { "form": "bettied", "tags": [ "participle", "past" ] }, { "form": "bettied", "tags": [ "past" ] } ], "head_templates": [ { "args": {}, "expansion": "betty (third-person singular simple present betties, present participle bettying, simple past and past participle bettied)", "name": "en-verb" } ], "lang": "English", "lang_code": "en", "pos": "verb", "senses": [ { "categories": [ "English terms with quotations" ], "examples": [ { "ref": "1976, Michael Crichton, The Great Train Robbery, page 185:", "text": "“Well then,” he said. “Let’s say you can betty the lock, hang on a rope, and break the drum, and then lock up again with nobody the wiser. How do I get on in the first place, past the Scots jack, with his sharp cool?”", "type": "quote" }, { "ref": "2013, Zack Wentz, “Simplicity itself”, in Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, volume 10, page 161:", "text": "The forty quid! Gone! ’Ow could she ’ave gotten in there? The peter ain’t broke, no sign of it bein’ bettied, and I the only one w’ the key.", "type": "quote" } ], "glosses": [ "To pick a lock, to open with a betty." ], "links": [ [ "pick", "pick" ], [ "lock", "lock" ] ] }, { "categories": [ "English terms with archaic senses", "English terms with quotations" ], "examples": [ { "ref": "1877 August 16, Julia Dartman, “Aunty Di”, in The Youth’s Companion, page 1:", "text": "“I’m perfectly well, thank you, Miss Hester,” she said, coldly. “I detest being bettied.”", "type": "quote" }, { "ref": "1897, W.H. Rudd, “Johnny cakes”, in The Poultry Monthly, volume XIX, page 371:", "text": "If anything on earth is reprehensible in a man and disgusting to a woman, it is to have said man hen-hussying and bettying about the kitchen", "type": "quote" } ], "glosses": [ "To be overly attentive to someone or something." ], "links": [ [ "attentive", "attentive" ] ], "raw_glosses": [ "(archaic) To be overly attentive to someone or something." ], "tags": [ "archaic" ] } ], "sounds": [ { "ipa": "/bɛti/" }, { "audio": "En-au-betty.ogg", "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/12/En-au-betty.ogg/En-au-betty.ogg.mp3", "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/En-au-betty.ogg" }, { "rhymes": "-ɛti" } ], "synonyms": [ { "sense": "bar used by thieves to open doors", "word": "bettee" }, { "word": "Betty" } ], "wikipedia": [ "Betty Rubble", "Green's Dictionary of Slang" ], "word": "betty" }
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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-10 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-01 using wiktextract (df33d17 and 4ed51a5). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
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