BP
Abbreviation with 9 meanings
| Stands for | Blood pressure |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 9 |
| Categories | Medical, Organizations & Companies, Science & Engineering, Units & Measurements, Texting & Internet Slang, Sports, Religion |
| Also written | bp, Bp. |
BP has nine meanings. The most common are Blood pressure (patient assessment) and British Petroleum (company and brand); it can also stand for Base pair, Bullous pemphigoid, Before Present, Battle pass and Break point, plus 2 more listed below.
Meanings of BP at a glance
| # | BP stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blood pressure | Medical › Patient Assessment |
| 2 | British Petroleum | Organizations & Companies › Company and Brand |
| 3 | Base pair | Science & Engineering › Genetics |
| 4 | Bullous pemphigoid | Medical › Dermatology |
| 5 | Before Present | Units & Measurements › Time |
| 6 | Battle pass | Texting & Internet Slang › Gaming Slang |
| 7 | Break point | Sports › Other Sports |
| 8 | Bishop | Religion › Religious Title |
| 9 | British Pharmacopoeia | Medical › Pharmacy |
1. Blood pressure
Medical · Patient Assessment Abbreviations
Pressure of circulating blood against artery walls, written as systolic over diastolic in millimeters of mercury, such as 120/80 mmHg. It is the most widely measured vital sign and the basis for diagnosing hypertension and recognizing shock.
Example: BP 168/94 R arm sitting, repeat 162/90 after 5 minutes rest.
The 2017 ACC/AHA guideline classes adult readings under 120/80 as normal and 130/80 or higher as hypertension. Accurate readings need the right cuff size, an arm supported at heart level, feet flat and five minutes of rest; a cuff that is too small reads falsely high.
2. British Petroleum
Organizations & Companies · Company and Brand Abbreviations
British multinational oil and gas company with operations in exploration, refining, fuel retail and energy trading. Headquartered in London; the company's official name is BP p.l.c., and the letters are no longer expanded.
Example: Gas is ten cents cheaper at the BP station on the corner.
Founded in 1909 as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, it became Anglo-Iranian Oil in 1935 and British Petroleum in 1954. It merged with Amoco in 1998 and used the slogan "Beyond Petroleum" in the 2000s. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico killed 11 workers and caused the largest marine oil spill in US history.
3. Base pair (bp)
Science & Engineering · Genetics Abbreviations
Unit of length for DNA: one pair of complementary bases, adenine with thymine or guanine with cytosine, across the two strands of the double helix. Gene, fragment and genome sizes are given in bp, as in a 500 bp PCR product or the human genome's roughly 3.1 billion bp.
Example: The PCR product ran at 650 bp on the gel, matching the expected size.
For single-stranded molecules the equivalent unit is the nucleotide (nt). Larger multiples are kb (kilobases), Mb (megabases) and Gb (gigabases). In B-form DNA each base pair adds about 0.34 nanometers of length, with about 10.5 base pairs per helical turn.
4. Bullous pemphigoid
Medical · Dermatology Abbreviations
Autoimmune blistering disease, mostly of older adults, causing large, tense, itchy blisters on the trunk and limbs, often preceded by itchy hive-like plaques. Autoantibodies attack proteins (BP180 and BP230) that anchor the epidermis to the dermis.
Example: Tense bullae on thighs, DIF linear IgG and C3 at BMZ: BP; start clobetasol to affected areas.
Certain drugs, notably DPP-4 inhibitors (gliptins) for diabetes, are associated with BP. Potent topical steroids are effective first-line treatment. Dupilumab was approved for BP in 2025. In nearly every other clinical context BP means blood pressure, so dermatology notes usually write out "pemphigoid".
5. Before Present
Units & Measurements · Time Abbreviations
Radiocarbon and archaeological dates counted backward from 1950, the reference year fixed because atmospheric nuclear tests later disturbed carbon-14 levels. A date of 3000 BP corresponds to about 1050 BC.
Example: Charcoal from the hearth yielded a radiocarbon age of 11,200 BP.
Uncalibrated radiocarbon ages are written BP, while calibrated dates are often marked cal BP, and the two can differ by centuries because atmospheric carbon-14 has varied over time. Geologists and paleoclimatologists also write ka BP for thousands of years before present. Using a fixed year keeps published dates from drifting as time passes.
6. Battle pass
Texting & Internet Slang · Gaming Slang Abbreviations
Tiered reward system unlocked by playing during a season, usually with a free track and a paid premium track. Rewards include cosmetics, currency and emotes.
Example: Need to finish the BP before the season ends on Tuesday.
Fortnite popularized the model from late 2017, following earlier versions in Dota 2. It encourages regular play and is used in many shooters and mobile games. Players complain when passes demand long daily play sessions.
7. Break point
Sports · Other Sports Abbreviations
Tennis situation in which the receiver needs one more point to win the opponent's service game. Break points converted and saved are key match statistics.
Example: He saved 14 of 15 BP and won in straight sets.
Breaking serve is critical because servers win most of their games. A "double break point" or "triple break point" means the receiver has several chances in a row. Outside tennis BP usually refers to the energy company or blood pressure.
8. Bishop (Bp.)
Religion · Religious Title Abbreviations
Abbreviation for bishop, an ordained leader with authority over a diocese in Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran and Methodist churches. It appears in church directories, reference books and footnotes.
Example: Bp. Michael Curry was the first African American presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church.
Bishops are styled "the Right Reverend" in Anglican usage and "the Most Reverend" for US Catholics. In historical and genealogical sources, "Bp." can also appear before the names of diocesan sees, as in "Bp. of London". In chess notation, B is the bishop.
9. British Pharmacopoeia
Medical · Pharmacy Abbreviations
Official collection of quality standards for medicinal substances and products in the United Kingdom, used alongside the European Pharmacopoeia. "BP" after a product name, as in "Paracetamol Tablets BP", means it meets the British standard.
Example: Box label: Aqueous Cream BP, 500 g, for external use only.
First published in 1864, the BP is now produced by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and is legally binding in the UK. It is also used in many Commonwealth countries. In nearly every other medical context BP means blood pressure.
Related abbreviations
More patient assessment abbreviations
- AVPU – Alert, voice, pain, unresponsive
- Ax – Axillary
- BLE – Bilateral lower extremities
- BMI – Body mass index
- BPS – Behavioral Pain Scale
- BS – Bowel sounds
- BSA – Body surface area
- BUE – Bilateral upper extremities
See all 65 patient assessment abbreviations →
More company and brand abbreviations
- BMS – Bristol Myers Squibb
- BMW – Bayerische Motoren Werke
- BNP Paribas – Banque Nationale de Paris Paribas
- BNSF – Burlington Northern Santa Fe
- BYD – BYD Company (Build Your Dreams)
- C&A – Clemens and August
- CATL – Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited
- CIBC – Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
See all 116 company and brand abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.