BB

What Does BB Mean in a Text?

BB usually means "Baby." It also means "Bareback," "Be Back," "Big Brother," "Body Builder," "BB Gun," "Basketball," and "Blackberry." Here is a little more information about each of these definitions of BB.

Baby

The abbreviation BB is widely used with the meaning "Baby" as a term of endearment (especially by girls).

Bareback

BB is often used on online dating sites, as well as in text messages and on chat forums, with the meaning "Bareback" to refer to having sexual intercourse without a condom.

Be Back

BB is sometimes used in internet chat rooms to indicate that a participant is leaving the group, but will be back shortly.

Big Brother

BB is also used to refer to the television reality show "Big Brother," which was originally broadcast in the Netherlands and subsequently syndicated internationally. (The term "Big Brother" originates from George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (first published in 1949), with its theme of constant surveillance of the populace.)

Body Builder

BB is used on online dating sites as a way of describing physical appearance. In this context, BB indicates that the user has a the physique of a body builder or is looking for someone with such a physique.

BB gun

A BB gun is a type of air gun designed to fire spherical projectiles, similar to ball bearings. 

Basketball

BB is sometimes used to refer to the game of basketball.

Blackberry

BB is also used to refer to "Blackberry," the communications company that was once one of the most prominent producers of smartphones in the world.

Image for BB

When I write BB, I mean this:

"Big Brother" is one of eight common definitions of BB.

Summary of Key Points

First Definition for BB

BB means "Baby." This is the most common definition for BB on Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, and other text or messaging services.

BB
Definition:	Baby
Type:	Slang Word (Jargon)
Guessability:	2: Quite easy to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Second Definition for BB

BB also means "Bareback," especially on Craigslist, Tinder, Zoosk and Match.com.

BB
Definition:	Bareback
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Third Definition for BB

BB also means "Be Back."

BB
Definition:	Be Back
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Fourth Definition for BB

BB also means "Big Brother."

BB
Definition:	Big Brother
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Fifth Definition for BB

"Body Builder" is another definition for BB.

BB
Definition:	Body Builder
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Sixth Definition for BB

"BB Gun" is another definition for BB.

BB
Definition:	BB Gun
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Seventh Definition for BB

BB also means "Basketball."

BB
Definition:	Basketball
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Eigth Definition for BB

BB also means "Blackberry."

BB
Definition:	Blackberry
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults

Examples of BB in Sentences

Here are examples of BB being used in jokes:

• When Chuck Norris was a BB he didn't have teddy bears, he had real bears.

(Here, BB means "Baby.")

• 80% of BB applicants are between 16 and 24. The rest have a significantly higher IQ.

(Here, BB means "Big Brother.")

• When is a smart phone just a phone?
• Whenit's a BB.

(Here, BB means "Blackberry.")

An Academic Look at BB

BB is normally classed as an initialism abbreviation. It is pronounced using its individual letters (i.e., "Bee Bee"). Initialisms are different to acronyms, which are spoken like words.

Example of BB Used in a Text

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