What is "b"

Legate \Leg"ate\ (l[e^]g"[asl]t), n. [OE. legat, L. legatus, fr. legare to send with a commission or charge, to depute, fr. lex, legis, law: cf. F. l['e]gat, It. legato. See Legal.]

1. An ambassador or envoy.

2. An ecclesiastic representing the pope and invested with the authority of the Holy See. Note: Legates are of three kinds:

   1. Legates a latere, now always cardinals. They are called ordinary or extraordinary legates, the former governing provinces, and the latter class being sent to foreign countries on extraordinary occasions.

   2. Legati missi, who correspond to the ambassadors of temporal governments.

   3. Legati nati, or legates by virtue of their office, as the archbishops of Salzburg and Prague.

3. (Rom. Hist.)

   1. An official assistant given to a general or to the governor of a province.

   2. Under the emperors, a governor sent to a province.

Gastropoda \Gas*trop"o*da\, n. pl., [NL., fr. Gr. ?, ?, stomach + -poda.] (Zo["o]l.) One of the classes of Mollusca, of great extent. It includes most of the marine spiral shells, and the land and fresh-water snails. They generally creep by means of a flat, muscular disk, or foot, on the ventral side of the body. The head usually bears one or two pairs of tentacles. See Mollusca. [Written also Gasteropoda.] Note: The Gastropoda are divided into three subclasses; viz.:

1. The Streptoneura or Dioecia, including the Pectinibranchiata, Rhipidoglossa, Docoglossa, and Heteropoda.

2. The Euthyneura, including the Pulmonata and Opisthobranchia.

3. The Amphineura, including the Polyplacophora and Aplacophora.

Infinitive \In*fin"i*tive\, n. [L. infinitivus: cf. F. infinitif. See Infinite.] Unlimited; not bounded or restricted; undefined. Infinitive mood (Gram.), that form of the verb which merely names the action, and performs the office of a verbal noun. Some grammarians make two forms in English:

1. The simple form, as, speak, go, hear, before which to is commonly placed, as, to speak; to go; to hear.

2. The form of the imperfect participle, called the infinitive in -ing; as, going is as easy as standing.

   Note: With the auxiliary verbs may, can, must, might, could, would, and should, the simple infinitive is expressed without to; as, you may speak; they must hear, etc. The infinitive usually omits to with the verbs let, dare, do, bid, make, see, hear, need, etc.; as, let me go; you dare not tell; make him work; hear him talk, etc.

   Note: In Anglo-Saxon, the simple infinitive was not preceded by to (the sign of modern simple infinitive), but it had a dative form (sometimes called the gerundial infinitive) which was preceded by to, and was chiefly employed in expressing purpose. See Gerund, 2.

   Note: The gerundial ending (-anne) not only took the same form as the simple infinitive (-an), but it was confounded with the present participle in -ende, or -inde (later -inge).

Labial \La"bi*al\, n.

1. (Phonetics) A letter or character representing an articulation or sound formed or uttered chiefly with the lips, as b, p, w.

2. (Mus.) An organ pipe that is furnished with lips; a flue pipe.

3. (Zo["o]l.) One of the scales which border the mouth of a fish or reptile.

Libration \Li*bra"tion\ (l[-i]*br[=a]"sh[u^]n), n. [L. libratio: cf. F. libration.]

1. The act or state of librating.
   --Jer. Taylor.

2. (Astron.) A real or apparent libratory motion, like that of a balance before coming to rest.

   Libration of the moon, any one of those small periodical changes in the position of the moon's surface relatively to the earth, in consequence of which narrow portions at opposite limbs become visible or invisible alternately. It receives different names according to the manner in which it takes place; as: (a) Libration in longitude, that which, depending on the place of the moon in its elliptic orbit, causes small portions near the eastern and western borders alternately to appear and disappear each month. ( b) Libration in latitude, that which depends on the varying position of the moon's axis in respect to the spectator, causing the alternate appearance and disappearance of either pole. ( c) Diurnal or parallactic libration, that which brings into view on the upper limb, at rising and setting, some parts not in the average visible hemisphere.

Respiration \Res`pi*ra"tion\ (r?s`p?*r?"sh?n), n. [L. respiratio: cf. F. respiration. See Respire.]

1. The act of respiring or breathing again, or catching one's breath.

2. Relief from toil or suffering: rest. [Obs.]

   Till the day Appear of respiration to the just And vengeance to the wicked.
   --Milton.

3. Interval; intermission. [Obs.]
   --Bp. Hall.

4. (Physiol.) The act of resping or breathing; the act of taking in and giving out air; the aggregate of those processes bu which oxygen is introduced into the system, and carbon dioxide, or carbonic acid, removed. Note: Respiration in the higher animals is divided into:

   1. Internal respiration, or the interchange of oxygen and carbonic acid between the cells of the body and the bathing them, which in one sense is a process of nutrition.

   2. External respiration, or the gaseous interchange taking place in the special respiratory organs, the lungs. This constitutes respiration proper.
      --Gamgee. [1913 Webster] In the respiration of plants oxygen is likewise absorbed and carbonic acid exhaled, but in the light this process is obscured by another process which goes on with more vigor, in which the plant inhales and absorbs carbonic acid and exhales free oxygen.

Monkey \Mon"key\, n.; pl. Monkeys. [Cf. OIt. monicchio, It. monnino, dim. of monna an ape, also dame, mistress, contr. fr. madonna. See Madonna.]

1. (Zo["o]l.)

   1. In the most general sense, any one of the Quadrumana, including apes, baboons, and lemurs.

   2. Any species of Quadrumana, except the lemurs.

   3. Any one of numerous species of Quadrumana (esp. such as have a long tail and prehensile feet) exclusive of apes and baboons. Note: The monkeys are often divided into three groups:

      1. Catarrhines, or Simid[ae]. These have an oblong head, with the oblique flat nostrils near together. Some have no tail, as the apes. All these are natives of the Old World.

      2. Platyrhines, or Cebid[ae]. These have a round head, with a broad nasal septum, so that the nostrils are wide apart and directed downward. The tail is often prehensile, and the thumb is short and not opposable. These are natives of the New World.

      3. Strepsorhines, or Lemuroidea. These have a pointed head with curved nostrils. They are natives of Southern Asia, Africa, and Madagascar.

2. A term of disapproval, ridicule, or contempt, as for a mischievous child.

   This is the monkey's own giving out; she is persuaded I will marry her.
   --Shak.

3. The weight or hammer of a pile driver, that is, a very heavy mass of iron, which, being raised on high, falls on the head of the pile, and drives it into the earth; the falling weight of a drop hammer used in forging.

4. A small trading vessel of the sixteenth century. Monkey boat. (Naut.)

   1. A small boat used in docks.

   2. A half-decked boat used on the River Thames.

      Monkey block (Naut.), a small single block strapped with a swivel.
      --R. H. Dana, Jr.

      Monkey flower (Bot.), a plant of the genus Mimulus; -- so called from the appearance of its gaping corolla.
      --Gray.

      Monkey gaff (Naut.), a light gaff attached to the topmast for the better display of signals at sea.

      Monkey jacket, a short closely fitting jacket, worn by sailors.

      Monkey rail (Naut.), a second and lighter rail raised about six inches above the quarter rail of a ship.

      Monkey shine, monkey trick. [Slang, U.S.]

      Monkey trick, a mischievous prank.
      --Saintsbury.

      Monkey wheel. See Gin block, under 5th Gin.

Mute \Mute\, n.

1. One who does not speak, whether from physical inability, unwillingness, or other cause. Specifically:

   1. One who, from deafness, either congenital or from early life, is unable to use articulate language; a deaf-mute.

   2. A person employed by undertakers at a funeral.

   3. A person whose part in a play does not require him to speak.

   4. Among the Turks, an officer or attendant who is selected for his place because he can not speak.

2. (Phon.) A letter which represents no sound; a silent letter; also, a close articulation; an element of speech formed by a position of the mouth organs which stops the passage of the breath; as, p, b, d, k, t.

3. (Mus.) A little utensil made of brass, ivory, or other material, so formed that it can be fixed in an erect position on the bridge of a violin, or similar instrument, in order to deaden or soften the tone.

Motion \Mo"tion\, n. [F., fr. L. motio, fr. movere, motum, to move. See Move.]

1. The act, process, or state of changing place or position; movement; the passing of a body from one place or position to another, whether voluntary or involuntary; -- opposed to rest.

   Speaking or mute, all comeliness and grace attends thee, and each word, each motion, forms.
   --Milton.

2. Power of, or capacity for, motion.

   Devoid of sense and motion.
   --Milton.

3. Direction of movement; course; tendency; as, the motion of the planets is from west to east.

   In our proper motion we ascend.
   --Milton.

4. Change in the relative position of the parts of anything; action of a machine with respect to the relative movement of its parts.

   This is the great wheel to which the clock owes its motion.
   --Dr. H. More.

5. Movement of the mind, desires, or passions; mental act, or impulse to any action; internal activity.

   Let a good man obey every good motion rising in his heart, knowing that every such motion proceeds from God.
   --South.

6. A proposal or suggestion looking to action or progress; esp., a formal proposal made in a deliberative assembly; as, a motion to adjourn.

   Yes, I agree, and thank you for your motion.
   --Shak.

7. (Law) An application made to a court or judge orally in open court. Its object is to obtain an order or rule directing some act to be done in favor of the applicant.
   --Mozley & W.

8. (Mus.) Change of pitch in successive sounds, whether in the same part or in groups of parts.

   The independent motions of different parts sounding together constitute counterpoint.
   --Grove.

   Note: Conjunct motion is that by single degrees of the scale. Contrary motion is that when parts move in opposite directions. Disjunct motion is motion by skips. Oblique motion is that when one part is stationary while another moves. Similar or direct motion is that when parts move in the same direction.

9. A puppet show or puppet. [Obs.] What motion's this? the model of Nineveh? --Beau. & Fl. Note: Motion, in mechanics, may be simple or compound. Simple motions are:

   1. straight translation, which, if of indefinite duration, must be reciprocating.

   2. Simple rotation, which may be either continuous or reciprocating, and when reciprocating is called oscillating.

   3. Helical, which, if of indefinite duration, must be reciprocating.

      Compound motion consists of combinations of any of the simple motions.

      Center of motion, Harmonic motion, etc. See under Center, Harmonic, etc.

      Motion block (Steam Engine), a crosshead.

      Perpetual motion (Mech.), an incessant motion conceived to be attainable by a machine supplying its own motive forces independently of any action from without. According to the law of conservation of energy, such perpetual motion is impossible, and no device has yet been built that is capable of perpetual motion.

      Syn: See Movement.

Ferment \Fer"ment\, n. [L. fermentum ferment (in senses 1 & 2), perh. for fervimentum, fr. fervere to be boiling hot, boil, ferment: cf. F. ferment. Cf. 1st Barm, Fervent.]

1. That which causes fermentation, as yeast, barm, or fermenting beer. Note: Ferments are of two kinds:

   1. Formed or organized ferments.

   2. Unorganized or structureless ferments. The latter are now called enzymes and were formerly called soluble ferments or chemical ferments. Ferments of the first class are as a rule simple microscopic vegetable organisms, and the fermentations which they engender are due to their growth and development; as, the acetic ferment, the butyric ferment, etc. See Fermentation. Ferments of the second class, on the other hand, are chemical substances; as a rule they are proteins soluble in glycerin and precipitated by alcohol. In action they are catalytic and, mainly, hydrolytic. Good examples are pepsin of the dastric juice, ptyalin of the salvia, and disease of malt. Before 1960 the term "ferment" to mean "enzyme" fell out of use. Enzymes are now known to be globular proteins, capable of catalyzing a wide variety of chemical reactions, not merely hydrolytic. The full set of enzymes causing production of ethyl alcohol from sugar has been identified and individually purified and studied. See enzyme.

2. Intestine motion; heat; tumult; agitation.

   Subdue and cool the ferment of desire.
   --Rogers.

   the nation is in a ferment.
   --Walpole.

3. A gentle internal motion of the constituent parts of a fluid; fermentation. [R.]

   Down to the lowest lees the ferment ran.
   --Thomson.

   ferment oils, volatile oils produced by the fermentation of plants, and not originally contained in them. These were the quintessences of the alchemists.
   --Ure.

Etymology 1 letter (Latn-def en letter 2 bee) num. (Latn-def en ordinal 2 bee) Etymology 2

abbr. (alternative form of b. English) sym. 1 (context astronomy English) latitude in the galactic coordinate system 2 (context physics English) barn 3 (context computing English) bit 4 (context cricket English) bye 5 (context size English) big

B is a programming language developed at Bell Labs circa 1969. It is the work of Ken Thompson with Dennis Ritchie.

B was derived from BCPL, and its name may be a contraction of BCPL. Thompson's coworker Dennis Ritchie speculated that the name might be based on Bon, an earlier, but unrelated, programming language that Thompson designed for use on Multics.

B was designed for recursive, non-numeric, machine independent applications, such as system and language software.

B, also known as Si, Ti, or, in some European countries, H, is the seventh note of the fixed-Do solfège. It has an enharmonic equivalent of C, which is by definition a diatonic semitone above B.

When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of Middle B (B) is approximately 493.883 Hz. See pitch (music) for a discussion of historical variations in frequency.

B is a service on the S-train network in Copenhagen. It runs between Farum and Høje Taastrup and provides stopping services on the S-train system's Farum radia and Tåstrup radial.

B is one of the base services on the network, running every 20 minutes from about 5:00 to 1:00 every day, and every 10 minutes between about 6:00 to 19:00 on weekdays. On Friday and Saturday nights there is also a 30 minutes service throughout the night.

The 'b' Album is a collection of B-sides and rarities released in 1996 by the Canadian folk band Moxy Früvous. A sticker on the packaging warned, "Not the third album!" At first self-published by the band, it was rereleased later that year with a revised track order in Canada by Warner Music Canada, and in the United States by Bottom Line Records.

B is the second letter of the Latin alphabet.

B may also refer to:

B EP is an EP by the American math rock band Battles. It was the group's third release in three months and has been called "another sketchbook revealing where the group could end up in the future."

B is a compilation album of b-sides, rare recordings and unreleased material from English rock band I Am Kloot.

The album was released in September 2009. The cover art consisted of fan-submitted artwork featuring the letter B.

The B was a line operated by the Los Angeles Railway from 1920 to 1948. It originally ran from Ramona Boulevard and Miller Street in East Los Angeles to Ascot Avenue and 51st Street.

B́ ( minuscule: b́) is a letter formed by putting an acute accent over the letter B. It was used in the two Sorbian languages.

The B Sixth Avenue Express is a rapid transit service in the B Division of the New York City Subway. Its route emblem, or "bullet", is colored since it uses the IND Sixth Avenue Line in Manhattan. The B only operates on weekdays from approximately 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. On middays and evenings, the B operates between 145th Street in Harlem, Manhattan and Brighton Beach in Brooklyn via Central Park West Local, the north side of the Manhattan Bridge, and Brighton Express. During rush hours, the B is extended to and from Bedford Park Boulevard in the Bronx via Concourse Local.