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
Therefore many were on the sidelines or short when the S&P reversed to the upside on September 11th, point b, in reaction to the CPI report. Tom Aspray, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024 Multispectral imaging clearly reveals the letters a, b, c, d, and e, according to Fagin Davis. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 9 Sep. 2024 While dancers such as the Netherlands’ nimble India, fleet-footed bronze medal winner 671 and mind-blowing gold medalist Ami of Japan earned love from the judges, there was one b-girl who stood out among all the athletes. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 12 Aug. 2024 How did Raygun wind up at the Olympics when, for example, last weekend in Melbourne a couple of b-girls were serving these moves? Aja Romano, Vox, 14 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for b 

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 15 Oct. 2024.

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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