beta fish

English

Noun

beta fish (plural beta fish or beta fishes)

1. Betta.
   • 2009, Duane Schwartz, Cobb's Landing:

     His chest puffed out like one of those Japanese beta fishes when it had caught a glimpse of itself in a mirror.

   • 2011, Douglas Hatten, Destiny of the Tribe of Ephraim and the Restoration of the House of Israel, page 225:

     Beta fish cannot be put together in the same bowl—because they will fight each other to the death.

   • 2011, Rick Tramonto, Gale Gand, Mary Goodbody, Tru: A Cookbook from the Legendary Chicago Restaurant:

     We keep twenty beta fish at the restaurant.

2. A person who is in a secondary position in a social hierarchy; a submissive person; a follower.
   • 2017, Lucy Loo, This Isn't a Prompt:

     And beta fish can't be beta fish if they are fighting to be alpha fish.

   • 2020, Bria Quinlan, The Last Single Girl:

     Well, there's Winston. But he's just a beta fish, so he's stuck in the house all day either way.

   • 2023, Eleanor Catton, Birnam Wood, page 319:

     He had taken her for a dogsbody, a beta fish, a bridesmaid, a ride-along; he had looked right past her, as likely many people did.