ENGLISH
REFERENCE

beatles

n. countable
A2 Elementary US //ˈbitəɫz// bea·t·les

n. a famous English rock band from the 1960s. They are one of the most successful and influential music groups in history.

n. a highly influential English rock group formed in Liverpool in 1960. The name is a proper noun and functions as a collective plural.


SIMPLE

The Beatles changed the world of music forever.

CONTEXTUAL

Many modern pop songs still use the chord progressions and vocal harmonies pioneered by the Beatles.

COMPLEX

The cultural impact of the Beatles extended far beyond music, influencing fashion, film, and the global social movements of the mid-twentieth century.

Origin

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.

Usage

Always capitalized; typically used with a plural verb in British English and a singular or plural verb in American English.

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