BB

¹ American  

[bee-bee] / ˈbiˌbi /

noun

1. a size of shot, 0.18 inch (0.46 centimeter) in diameter, fired from an air rifle or BB gun.

2. Also called BB shot.  shot of this size.

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BB ² American  

1. a quality rating for a corporate or municipal bond, lower than BBB and higher than B.

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bb. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. ball bearing.

2. Baseball.  base on balls; bases on balls.

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B/B ⁴ American  

1. bottled in bond.

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b.b. ⁵ American  

abbreviation

1. bail bond.

2. baseboard.

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B.B. ⁶ American  

abbreviation

1. bail bond.

2. Blue Book.

3. B'nai B'rith.

4. Bureau of the Budget.

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BB ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. Boys' Brigade

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symbol

1. double black: denoting a very soft lead

bb ² British  

abbreviation

1. Barbados

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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

Armed with a BB gun, Maldonado said he’d threatened to “f— with his business” if the man didn’t pay, the detective recalled.

From Los Angeles Times

The list of Korean beauty trends that have been adopted as staples around the world is long: BB creams, ampoules, face masks and pimple patches.

From Los Angeles Times

Credit rating firms were debating where to place the transaction within the BB to CCC range usually deemed junk bonds, according to a Bloomberg report from last month about the potential offering.

From Barron's

BlackBerry BB 2.31%increase; green up pointing triangle is counting on its automotive software business to power a turnaround of the onetime smartphone pioneer.

From The Wall Street Journal

A teenage girl who stabbed two teachers and a pupil last year had previously been found with a knife, BB gun and war memorabilia in her school bag, a review has found.

From BBC