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

In other words, BitGo provides custody and wallet services, storing digital assets securely through the use of private keys and hardware wallets similar to USB drives, for holders of Bitcoin and other cryptos.

From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026

But in both my Mom bag and my Dad bag I carry notebook paper and pencils, a phone charger, a wallet, a USB thumb drive, and my books.

From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper

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