Beatles

Beatles

English

Etymology

Originally spelled Beatals, punningly referencing the expression beat all (surpass everything), then later altered to Beatles, blend of beat +‎ beetles, with beat referring to "beat music" or the "beat" of a drum, and beetles inspired by the contemporaneous band name The Crickets.[1][2]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbiːtəlz/, [ˈbɪi̯tʰəlz] ~ [ˈbɪi̯tʰl̩z]
    • (t-flapping) IPA(key): /ˈbiːɾəlz/, [ˈbɪi̯ɾəlz] ~ [ˈbɪi̯ɾl̩z]
      • Audio (US):(file)
  • (t-glottalization) IPA(key): /ˈbiːʔəlz/, [ˈbɪi̯ʔəlz] ~ [ˈbɪi̯ʔl̩z]
  • Hyphenation: Beat‧les
  • Homophone: beetles

Proper noun

the Beatles pl (plural only)

  1. An extremely successful and influential British rock music quartet that operated primarily in the 1960s.
    Synonym: Fab Four
    Meronym: Beatles

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

Noun

Beatles

  1. plural of Beatle

References

  1. ^ Greg Metzer, Rock Band Name Origins (Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co.) 2008.
  2. ^ Kenneth Womack, The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four (Santa Barbara: Greenwood) 2017.

Anagrams

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bi.tœls/, /bi.tœlz/
  • Audio (France (Vosges)):(file)

Proper noun

Beatles m pl (plural only)

  1. Beatles (rock music quartet)

German

Pronunciation

Proper noun

Beatles m pl (proper noun, plural only)

  1. Beatles (rock music quartet)

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English Beatles.

Pronunciation

 
  • (Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈbi.tows/ [ˈbi.toʊ̯s]
  • (Portugal) IPA(key): /ˈbi.tɐls/ [ˈbi.tɐɫs]

Proper noun

Beatles m pl (plural only)

  1. Beatles (rock music quartet)

Spanish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbitels/ [ˈbi.t̪els]
  • Rhymes: -itels
  • Syllabification: Bea‧tles

Proper noun

Beatles m pl (plural only)

  1. Beatles (rock music quartet)