Origin: Germanic Old English prefix
Beats has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
a United States youth subculture of the 1950s; rejected possessions or regular work or traditional dress; for communal living and psychedelic drugs and anarchism; favored modern forms of jazz (e.g., bebop)
"The Beats influenced counterculture movements with their rejection of conventional values and embrace of jazz."
plural of beat
"The jazz drummer played several complex beats during the solo section."
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of beat
"She beats her hands together in a rhythmic pattern while dancing to the music."
In plain English: To beat something means to hit it repeatedly with your hand, fist, or another object.
"She beats eggs in a bowl until they turn fluffy and yellow."
The word beats originated as a nickname derived from the names Beatrice or Beatrix. It was formed by clipping these longer names and adding an 's' to create a familiar form of address.