dB
Abbreviation with 7 meanings
| Stands for | Decibel |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 7 |
| Categories | Units & Measurements, Technology & Computing, Transportation & Travel, Sports, Business & Finance, Science & Engineering |
| Also written | DB, Db |
dB has seven meanings. The most common are Decibel (engineering unit) and Database (data & database); it can also stand for Deutsche Bahn, Defensive back, Defined benefit plan, Dumbbell and Dubnium.
Meanings of dB at a glance
| # | dB stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Decibel | Units & Measurements › Engineering Unit |
| 2 | Database | Technology & Computing › Data & Database |
| 3 | Deutsche Bahn | Transportation & Travel › Rail and Transit |
| 4 | Defensive back | Sports › American Football |
| 5 | Defined benefit plan | Business & Finance › Personal Finance |
| 6 | Dumbbell | Sports › Fitness and Exercise |
| 7 | Dubnium | Science & Engineering › Chemical Element |
1. Decibel
Units & Measurements · Engineering Unit Abbreviations
A logarithmic unit expressing ratios of power or intensity, best known for sound levels. Every 10 dB increase means ten times the sound intensity: conversation is about 60 dB, a lawn mower about 90 dB and a rock concert 110 dB or more.
Example: Hearing protection is required in areas above 85 dB.
The bel, named for Alexander Graham Bell, proved too large for practical use, so its tenth became standard. A 3 dB rise doubles power, while a 10 dB rise sounds roughly twice as loud. Electronics and acoustics use variants with fixed references, such as dBA, dBm and dBi. NIOSH recommends limiting exposure at 85 dBA to eight hours a day.
2. Database (DB)
Technology & Computing · Data & Database Abbreviations
An organized collection of data stored electronically and managed by software so it can be queried, updated and kept consistent. Relational databases hold tables of rows and columns, while other types store documents, key-value pairs, graphs or time series.
Example: The app slowed down because the DB server ran out of disk space overnight.
The word "database" came into use in the 1960s, and Edgar F. Codd's 1970 relational model shaped most systems that followed. "DB" appears constantly in variable names, connection strings and job titles. Strictly, the database is the data and the software managing it is the DBMS, though people use the terms interchangeably.
3. Deutsche Bahn (DB)
Transportation & Travel · Rail and Transit Abbreviations
Germany's state-owned national railway company, operating long-distance ICE and Intercity trains, regional services, freight and the Berlin and Munich S-Bahn networks. It is one of the world's largest transport companies.
Example: My DB train from Berlin to Munich was 40 minutes late again, so I'm claiming compensation.
Formed in 1994 by merging West Germany's Deutsche Bundesbahn and East Germany's Deutsche Reichsbahn. Punctuality is a frequent complaint: in recent years only about 60 to 65 percent of long-distance trains arrived on time by DB's own measure. EU rules entitle passengers to partial refunds for long delays.
4. Defensive back (DB)
Sports · American Football Abbreviations
Any player in the secondary: cornerbacks and safeties. Defensive backs cover receivers, defend deep passes and make open-field tackles; a nickel defense adds a fifth DB and a dime defense a sixth.
Example: The team used six DBs on third and long to take away the passing lanes.
The "secondary" is the second level of defense behind the line and linebackers. Defensive backs wear numbers below 50. In computing, DB is a common abbreviation for database, an unrelated meaning.
5. Defined benefit plan (DB)
Business & Finance · Personal Finance Abbreviations
Traditional pension in which the employer promises a specific monthly retirement income set by a formula, usually years of service multiplied by final or average salary and a percentage multiplier. The employer funds the plan and bears the investment risk.
Example: Her state DB pension pays 2% of final average salary for each year of service.
Usually written "DB plan." Private-sector DB plans in the US are insured by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation up to legal limits. They have declined steadily since the 1980s in favor of 401(k)-style plans but remain common for government workers and union members. A cash balance plan is a hybrid that is legally a DB plan.
6. Dumbbell (DB)
Sports · Fitness and Exercise Abbreviations
Short, hand-held weight used one in each hand or singly, the most common free weight in gyms. Programs write exercises as DB bench press or DB row.
Example: Superset: DB curls with DB overhead triceps extensions, 3 x 12.
Dumbbells allow each arm to work independently, exposing strength imbalances. Adjustable dumbbells became popular for home gyms. In computing DB means database.
7. Dubnium (Db)
Science & Engineering · Chemical Element Abbreviations
Dubnium (element 105) is a synthetic, radioactive transactinide in group 5, below tantalum. Its longest-lived isotopes last for hours, which is long by superheavy standards and has allowed limited chemical studies comparing it with niobium and tantalum.
Example: Single-atom experiments compared how Db and niobium form volatile chloride compounds.
Teams at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia, and at Berkeley both claimed element 105 around 1968-1970; the Americans proposed hahnium (Ha) after Otto Hahn. In 1997 IUPAC chose dubnium, honoring the town of Dubna, home of the Soviet and later Russian laboratory.
Related abbreviations
More engineering unit abbreviations
- cfm – Cubic feet per minute
- Ci – Curie
- CID – Cubic inch displacement
- CRI – Color Rendering Index
- dBA – A-weighted decibels
- dBm – Decibel-milliwatts
- F – Degree Fahrenheit
- fc – Foot-candle
See all 103 engineering unit abbreviations →