betty
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betty¹
- /ˈbɛti/
Rhymes with -ɛti
Where it comes from
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.
noun betties · bettee · Betty
- A short bar used by thieves to wrench doors open; a jimmy. No modern Lycæum vvill ever equal thy Glory, […] deſcribing the povverful Betty, or the artful Picklock, […]
- A picklock, skeleton key; a tool for opening locks. 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 fin
- A man who performs tasks that traditionally belong to a woman; (originally) an effeminate or gay man.
- A pear-shaped bottle covered with straw, in which olive oil is sometimes brought from Italy; a Florence flask. On olive oil in casks, twenty cents per gallon; olive salad oil in bottles or betties, thirty per centum ad valorem
- A baked dessert made with alternating layers of sweetened fruit and buttered bread crumbs. A pie-size betty is traditional, but if you like, assemble the recipe in individual ovenproof ramekins.
-
An attractive woman; a babe.
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.
Similar: beautiful woman
verb betties · bettying · bettied · bettee · Betty
- To pick a lock, to open with a betty. “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?”
- To be overly attentive to someone or something. “I’m perfectly well, thank you, Miss Hester,” she said, coldly. “I detest being bettied.”
Betty²
- /ˈbɛti/
Rhymes with -ɛti
proper noun
- A diminutive of the female given name Elizabeth. People in the last century weren't afraid of homely names; now we are all so smart and fine: no more "Lady Bettys" now.
noun Betties
- A girl who hangs out with skateboarders or surfers.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: petit, petty, miss, wood, pete, pierre, beattie, beatty, meggy, beauty, babe, dish, fox, hottie, belle, stunner
Translations
Talk about this word "betty." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/betty. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. betty. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/betty "betty." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/betty.Cite this
@misc{betty_2026,
title = {betty},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/betty},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
