Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Theta \The"ta\, n. [L., fr. Gr. qh^ta, the Greek letter [theta],
   [Theta].]
   A letter of the Greek alphabet corresponding to th in
   English; -- sometimes called the unlucky letter, from being
   used by the judges on their ballots in passing condemnation
   on a prisoner, it being the first letter of the Greek
   qa`natos, death.

   {Theta function} (Math.), one of a group of functions used in
      developing the properties of elliptic functions.