# Betamax

> English word · Proper noun · frequency rank #80,243

## Definitions
1. A home videocassette recording format developed by Sony in 1975, now known for having lost the format war to VHS.

## Etymology
According to Sony, the name had a double meaning: beta is the Japanese word used to describe the way in which signals are recorded on the tape; and the shape of the Greek letter beta β resembles the course of the tape through the transport. The suffix -max, from maximum, was added to suggest greatness.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/betamax