b

1 of 3

noun

plural b's or bs ˈbēz How to pronounce b (audio)
often capitalized, often attributive
1
a
: the second letter of the English alphabet
names that begin with b
b
: a graphic representation of this letter
in the shape of a b
c
: the speech sound that the written letter b represents : a speech counterpart of orthographic b
2
: the seventh tone of a C-major scale (see scale entry 5 sense 1)
in the key of b
3
: a graphic device for reproducing the letter b
the b on the laptop's keyboard
4
: one designated b especially as the second in order or class
I chose option b.
5
a
: a grade rating a student's work as good but short of excellent
b
: one graded or rated with a B
a b student
6
: something shaped like the letter B
7
capitalized : the one of the four ABO blood groups characterized by the presence of antigens designated by the letter B and by the presence of antibodies against the antigens present in the A blood group

b

2 of 3

abbreviation

1
bachelor
2
bacillus
3
back
4
bag
5
bale
6
bass
7
basso
8
bat
9
Baumé
10
before
11
Bible
12
billion
13
bishop
14
black
15
blue
16
bolivar
17
book
18
born
19
bottom
20
brick
21
brightness
22
British
23
bulb
24
butut

B

3 of 3

symbol

boron

Examples of b in a Sentence

Noun There are two b's in the word “abbey.” All of their children's names begin with b. a song in the key of B got a B in math
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Given the corruption of the élites in the deep state, which candidate should win? a) Candidate A b) Candidate B c) Whoever drew the biggest crowds Jane owns 12 guns. Joel Stein, The New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2023 The only remaining option is Sub. b: the court votes to act in closed conference. Jack Kelly and Matthew Defour, Journal Sentinel, 30 Aug. 2023 The single is available to pre-order now, though there is no word yet on what will feature on the b-side. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 18 July 2023 Demand will increase by 6.5 million b/d in 2021, but that is 0.5 million b/d less than what EIA forecast in August. Abby Smith, Washington Examiner, 10 Sep. 2020 But for reasons of a) longevity and b) more importantly, contribution to society through responsible capital allocation, C – Warren Buffett – would be most people’s choice. James Early, Forbes, 3 May 2023 Some vitamin deficiencies can cause sleep problems, particularly b vitamins, calcium, vitamin d [13] and magnesium [14]. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 24 May 2023 The presence of water vapor could suggest that GJ 486 b somehow has an atmosphere, despite its heat and proximity to the star. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 2 May 2023 The weekly uptrend, line b, is now in the 14,813 area. Tom Aspray, Forbes, 7 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'b.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of b was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near b

Cite this Entry

“B.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/b. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

b

noun
ˈbē
often capitalized
1
: the second letter of the English alphabet
2
: a musical note referred to by the letter B : the seventh tone of a C-major scale
3
: a grade rating a student's work as good

Medical Definition

b

1 of 3 abbreviation
1
bacillus
2
barometric
3
bath
4
Baumé scale
5
behavior
6
bel
7
bicuspid
8
born
9
brother

B

2 of 3 noun
: the one of the four ABO blood groups characterized by the presence of antigens designated by the letter B and by the presence of antibodies against the antigens present in the A blood group

B

3 of 3 symbol
boron

More from Merriam-Webster on b

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