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]

• 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

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

   • 2023, Priscilla Presley, Sandra Harmon, Sofia Coppola, Priscilla, spoken by Elvis (Jacob Elordi):

     Don't tell me to play goddamn Beatles in my house. We're in America, I swear to God.

• Beatles on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Beatles

1. plural of Beatle

• belates, besteal

• IPA^(key): /bi.tœls/, /bi.tœlz/

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

Beatles m pl (plural only)

1. Beatles (rock music quartet)

• IPA^(key): /ˈbiːtl̩s/

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Beatles m pl (proper noun, plural only)

1. Beatles (rock music quartet)

• Beatle m

Unadapted borrowing from English Beatles.

Beatles m pl (plural only)

1. Beatles (rock music quartet)

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

Beatles m pl (plural only)

1. Beatles (rock music quartet)