USB

American

abbreviation

Computers.

universal serial bus: an external serial bus interface standard for connecting peripheral devices to a computer, as in a or .

USB British

abbreviation

Universal Serial Bus: a standard for connection sockets on computers and other electronic equipment

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of USB

First recorded in 1995

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Just as a USB adapter allows devices with different connectors to work together, Floquet magnons could bridge frequencies that would otherwise remain incompatible."

From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2026

Daniel told them the combination to a safe where he stored his hardware wallet, which was about the size of a USB drive.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

Tap “Copy to” and select the USB icon with your drive’s name.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

Hardline union USB said wages in Italy "have been stagnant for 30 years".

From Barron's • Nov. 28, 2025

"We allocated one hundred grams for luxury items. There are some handwritten letters from Mark's family, a note from the President, and a USB drive filled with music from all ages."

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023