12-letter words containing a, t, e
- beta testing — (programming) Evaluation of a pre-release (potentially unreliable) version of a piece of software (or possibly hardware) by making it available to selected users ("beta testers") before it goes on general distribution. Beta testign aims to discover bugs that only occur in certain environments or under certain patterns of use, while reducing the volume of feedback to a manageable level. The testers benefit by having earlier access to new products, features and fixes. Beta testing may be preceded by "alpha testing", performed in-house by a handful of users (e.g. other developers or friends), who can be expected to give rapid, high quality feedback on design and usability. Once the product is considered to be usable for its intended purpose it then moves on to "beta testing" by a larger, but typically still limited, number of ordinary users, who may include external customers. Some companies such as Google or Degree Jungle stretch the definition, claiming their products are "in beta" for many months by millions of users. The term derives from early 1960s terminology for product cycle checkpoints, first used at IBM but later standard throughout the industry. "Alpha test" was the unit test, module test or component test phase; "Beta Test" was initial system test. These themselves came from earlier A- and B-tests for hardware. The A-test was a feasibility and manufacturability evaluation done before any commitment to design and development. The B-test was a demonstration that the engineering model functioned as specified. The C-test (corresponding to today's beta) was the B-test performed on early samples of the production design.
- beta version — beta testing
- beta-blocker — any of various substances that interfere with the action of the beta receptors: used primarily to reduce the heart rate or force in the prevention, management, or treatment of angina, hypertension, or arrythmias.
- betacarotene — the most important form of the plant pigment carotene, which occurs in milk, vegetables, and other foods and, when eaten by man and animals, is converted in the body to vitamin A
- betanaphthol — a colorless, crystalline isomer of naphthol, C10H8O, used as an antiseptic and parasiticide
- beth midrash — a place where Jews gather to study the Talmud and other religious writings; a small synagogue.
- beth shammai — the school of Jewish legal thought and hermeneutics founded in Jerusalem in the 1st century b.c. by the Jewish teacher Shammai and characterized by an austere or rigid interpretation of Jewish law and tradition.
- betweenbrain — the posterior part of the forebrain
- bi-quarterly — occurring twice in each quarter of a year.
- biarticulate — having two joints, as the antennae of certain insects.
- biauriculate — having two auricles or earlike parts
- bibliothecal — relating to a bibliotheca
- bicentennial — A bicentennial is the same as a bicentenary.
- bicollateral — (of a vascular bundle) having two phloem groups to the inside and outside, respectively, of the xylem
- bicycle path — a path designed for bicyclists
- bidialectism — proficient in or using two dialects of the same language.
- bien pensant — a right-thinking person
- biflagellate — having two flagella
- biker jacket — a short, close-fitting leather jacket with zips and studs, often worn by motorcyclists
- bilateralism — the practice of being bilateral
- billingsgate — the largest fish market in London, on the N bank of the River Thames; moved to new site at Canary Wharf in 1982 and the former building converted into offices
- binge eating — the practice of eating excessive amounts of food over a short period of time
- biomagnetics — the study of magnetic fields as a form of therapy
- biomagnetism — animal magnetism.
- biometrician — a person who is knowledgeable about biometry
- biosatellite — an artificial satellite for carrying living organisms
- biotechnical — relating to biotechnology
- biparentally — from a biparental point of view
- bipropellant — a rocket propellant consisting of two substances, usually a fuel and an oxidizer
- bird watcher — a person who identifies and observes birds in their natural habitat as a recreation.
- bird-watcher — A bird-watcher is a person whose hobby is watching and studying wild birds in their natural surroundings.
- birket karun — a lake in N Egypt. 25 miles (40 km) long; about 5 miles (8 km) wide; 90 sq. mi. (233 sq. km).
- birth father — a biological mother (birth mother) or biological father (birth father) a biological parent.
- birth parent — a biological mother (birth mother) or biological father (birth father) a biological parent.
- biscuit ware — unglazed earthenware
- biting stage — the second part of the oral phase of psychosexual development, approximately 8 to18 months of age, during which a child has the urge to bite or chew objects.
- bitter aloes — a bitter purgative drug made from the leaves of several species of aloe
- bitter apple — colocynth
- bitter lakes — two lakes, the Great Bitter Lake and Little Bitter Lake in NE Egypt: part of the Suez Canal
- blabbermouth — a person who talks too much or indiscreetly
- black beauty — a Biphetamine capsule.
- black beetle — another name for the oriental cockroach
- black butter — beurre noir.
- black forest — wooded mountain region in SW Germany
- black letter — a kind of heavy-faced, ornamental printing type
- black market — If something is bought or sold on the black market, it is bought or sold illegally.
- black pewter — pewter composed of 60 percent tin and 40 percent lead.
- black sapote — a tropical American tree, Diospyros digyna, related to the persimmon, having sweet, edible, green fruit that turns black when ripe.
- black scoter — a scoter of Eurasia and North America, Melanitta nigra, the adult male of which is black.
- black stream — a warm ocean current in the Pacific, flowing N along the E coast of Taiwan, NE along the E coast of Japan, and continuing in an easterly direction into the open Pacific.