B

or b

[ bee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, plural B's or Bs, b's or bs.

the second letter of the English alphabet, a consonant.
any spoken sound represented by the letter B or b, as in bid, bauble, or daubed.
something having the shape of a B .
a written or printed representation of the letter B or b.
a device, as a printer's type, for reproducing the letter B or b.

Symbol.

the second in order or in a series.
(sometimes lowercase) (in some grading systems) a grade or mark, as in school or college, indicating the quality of a student's work as good or better than average.
(sometimes lowercase) (in some school systems) a symbol designating the second semester of a school year.
Physiology. a major blood group usually enabling a person whose blood is of this type to donate blood to persons of type B or AB and to receive blood from persons of type O or B. Compare ABO system.
Music.
1. the seventh tone in the scale of C major or the second tone in the relative minor scale, A minor.
2. a string, key, or pipe tuned to this tone.
3. a written or printed note representing this tone.
4. (in the fixed system of solmization) the seventh tone of the scale of C major, called ti.
5. the tonality having B as the tonic note.
(sometimes lowercase) the medieval Roman numeral for 300.
Chemistry. boron.
a proportional shoe width size, narrower than C and wider than A.
a proportional brassiere cup size, smaller than C and larger than A.
Physics. magnetic induction ( def 1 ).
Electricity. susceptance ( def ).
a designation for a motion picture made on a low budget and meant as the secondary part of a double feature.
a quality rating for a corporate or municipal bond, lower than BB and higher than CCC.

⁴

B-

⁵

U.S. Military.

⁶

⁷

/ biː /

the second letter and first consonant of the modern English alphabet
a speech sound represented by this letter, usually a voiced bilabial stop, as in bell
Alsobeta the second in a series, esp the second highest grade in an examination

music
1. a note having a frequency of 493.88 hertz ( B above middle C ) or this value multiplied or divided by any power of 2; the seventh note of the scale of C major
2. a key, string, or pipe producing this note
3. the major or minor key having this note as its tonic
the supporting or less important of two things
the B side of a record
a human blood type of the ABO group, containing the B antigen
(in Britain) a secondary road
the number 11 in hexadecimal notation
chem boron
magnetic flux density
chess bishop
See H
(on Brit pencils, signifying degree of softness of lead) black Compare H
B
2B
3B
Alsob physics bel
physics baryon number
balboa
belga
bolivar
photog B-setting
1. a person whose job is in middle management, or who holds an intermediate administrative or professional position
2. ( as modifier ) See also occupation groupings
  a B worker