BB
1 Americannoun
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a size of shot, 0.18 inch (0.46 centimeter) in diameter, fired from an air rifle or BB gun.
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Also called BB shot. shot of this size.
abbreviation
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ball bearing.
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Baseball. base on balls; bases on balls.
abbreviation
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bail bond.
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baseboard.
abbreviation
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bail bond.
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Blue Book.
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B'nai B'rith.
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Bureau of the Budget.
abbreviation
symbol
abbreviation
Usage
What else does bb mean? In text messages and online, bb can be short for baby, especially as it's used as a term of endearment for significant others or friends. In this sense, it can sometimes be pronounced as [bey-bee]. Bb can also be short for quite a few other things, including basketball, bye-bye, the pellets of a BB gun, and some NSFW applications.
Etymology
Origin of BB
An Americanism dating back to 1870–75
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.
High Yield Index has “the highest percentage of BB bonds on record.”
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
But once he explains that he technically works at the company that owns QNX, he knows exactly how they will respond: BlackBerry BB 0.14%increase; green up pointing triangle still exists?
From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026
But they did not find any evidence of BB, the three men or the car.
From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026
It inspire Simone de Beauvoir in 1960 to say, "BB now deserves to be considered an export product as important as Renault automobiles."
From Barron's • Dec. 28, 2025
Satisfied, Aunt BB and I took off for our house.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.