noun
betty
BEH-tee
noun
1
A short metal bar used to force open a lock or door; a burglar's jimmy.
"The thief pried the window open with a betty."
2
A baked dessert made of layered fruit and buttered breadcrumbs.
"Grandma's apple betty was the highlight of the harvest dinner."
name
1
A pet form of the female name Elizabeth.
"Betty was the most popular girl's name of its era."
How to Use Betty
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost commonly a nickname for Elizabeth; in older slang, also a tool for forcing locks or a fruit-and-breadcrumb dessert.
Common pairings
apple betty
crack a lock with a betty
Word Forms
bettied past tense, betties plural, Betties plural, betties singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “betty”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The thief pried the window open with a _____.
Etymology
From the nickname Betty for Elizabeth. Thieves' slang later borrowed the name for a lock-picking bar, much as it borrowed "Bess" for the same tool.