BBB
Abbreviation with 4 meanings
| Stands for | Better Business Bureau |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 4 |
| Categories | Organizations & Companies, Medical, Government & Politics |
BBB has four meanings. The most common are Better Business Bureau (nonprofit) and Blood-brain barrier (anatomy); it can also stand for Bundle branch block and Build Back Better.
Meanings of BBB at a glance
| # | BBB stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Better Business Bureau | Organizations & Companies › Nonprofit |
| 2 | Blood-brain barrier | Medical › Anatomy |
| 3 | Bundle branch block | Medical › Cardiology |
| 4 | Build Back Better | Government & Politics › Political |
1. Better Business Bureau
Organizations & Companies · Nonprofit Abbreviations
Private nonprofit network that rates businesses from A+ to F, handles consumer complaints and mediates disputes, and accredits businesses that agree to its standards for a fee. It is not a government agency.
Example: Before hiring the roofer, she checked his BBB rating and complaint history.
The first bureau was founded in 1912, and local BBBs are coordinated by the International Association of Better Business Bureaus. Critics have questioned whether accreditation fees influence ratings, which the organization denies. Its Scam Tracker collects public reports of fraud. In US politics, BBB also refers to the Build Back Better agenda.
2. Blood-brain barrier
Medical · Anatomy Abbreviations
Selective barrier formed by tightly joined endothelial cells of brain capillaries, supported by astrocytes and pericytes, that blocks most large and water-soluble molecules from entering brain tissue. It protects the brain but also keeps out many drugs, including most antibodies and chemotherapy agents.
Example: Meningeal inflammation disrupts the BBB, allowing higher penicillin levels in the CSF.
Small, fat-soluble molecules such as alcohol, caffeine and anesthetic gases cross easily. Contrast enhancement on brain MRI marks areas where the barrier has broken down, as in tumors, infections and active MS plaques. Levodopa enters the brain via a transporter, whereas dopamine itself cannot. In cardiology BBB means bundle branch block.
3. Bundle branch block
Medical · Cardiology Abbreviations
Delay or block in one of the two main branches of the conduction system below the AV node, producing a QRS duration of 120 ms or more. Right and left forms differ in cause and significance and are told apart by the QRS pattern in leads V1 and V6.
Example: Wide QRS at 140 ms with BBB morphology; compare with old tracings before calling it new.
A popular memory aid is "WiLLiaM MaRRoW": W in V1 and M in V6 for left bundle branch block, M in V1 and W in V6 for right. Rate-dependent bundle branch block appears only at faster heart rates. In neurology BBB means the blood-brain barrier, an entirely different concept.
4. Build Back Better
Government & Politics · Political Abbreviations
President Joe Biden's campaign agenda and the name of a large social spending and climate bill passed by the House in November 2021. The bill stalled in the Senate, and a scaled-down version became the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
Example: Negotiations over BBB collapsed when a key senator announced his opposition.
The phrase "build back better" originated in disaster recovery planning, where it meant rebuilding to higher standards, and appeared in the UN's 2015 Sendai Framework. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced his opposition to the bill in December 2021. In consumer contexts BBB usually means the Better Business Bureau.
Related abbreviations
More nonprofit abbreviations
- ALA – American Lung Association
- ALEC – American Legislative Exchange Council
- ARC – American Red Cross
- ASPCA – American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
- BBBS – Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
- BGCA – Boys & Girls Clubs of America
- BLM – Black Lives Matter
- BSA – Boy Scouts of America
See all 91 nonprofit abbreviations →
More anatomy abbreviations
- ANS – Autonomic nervous system
- Ao – Aorta
- ASIS – Anterior superior iliac spine
- ATFL – Anterior talofibular ligament
- C-spine – Cervical spine
- C1 – First cervical vertebra (atlas)
- C2 – Second cervical vertebra (axis)
- C5-C6 – Fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae (intervertebral level)
See all 70 anatomy abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.