BM
Abbreviation with 4 meanings
| Stands for | Boatswain's Mate |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 4 |
| Categories | Military, Geography & Places, Texting & Internet Slang |
BM has four meanings. The most common are Boatswain's Mate (US Navy and coast guard rating) and Bermuda (country code); it can also stand for Baby mama and Bad manners.
Meanings of BM at a glance
| # | BM stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boatswain's Mate | Military › US Navy and Coast Guard Rating |
| 2 | Bermuda | Geography & Places › Country Code |
| 3 | Baby mama | Texting & Internet Slang › Parenting Forum |
| 4 | Bad manners | Texting & Internet Slang › Gaming Slang |
1. Boatswain's Mate
Military · US Navy and Coast Guard Rating Abbreviations
Seamanship experts responsible for mooring, anchoring, rigging, small-boat operations, deck maintenance and underway replenishment. Senior boatswain's mates train the deck force, and in the Coast Guard BMs serve as coxswains and lead small-boat stations.
Example: BM2 Ruiz will be coxswain of the RHIB for this afternoon's boarding drill.
Pronounced "BO-sun's mate," and spelled bosun in informal writing. It is among the oldest Navy ratings, dating to the Continental Navy. The rating badge shows crossed anchors, and boatswain's mates traditionally pass orders over the general announcing system with the boatswain's pipe.
2. Bermuda
Geography & Places · Country Code Abbreviations
Bermuda, a British Overseas Territory about 1,000 kilometres east of North Carolina, is a global center for reinsurance and offshore companies. Hamilton is the capital, and BMU the alpha-3 code.
Example: The reinsurer's annual report gives Hamilton, BM as its registered office.
Bermuda shorts and the Bermuda Triangle take their names from the islands. The Bermudian dollar (BMD) is pegged one-to-one to the US dollar.
3. Baby mama
Texting & Internet Slang · Parenting Forum Abbreviations
Slang for the mother of one's child, typically when the parents are not in a relationship. Also used on stepfamily forums for a partner's child's mother, sometimes read as "biological mother."
Example: My BM and I finally agreed on a co-parenting schedule that works.
Comes from African American Vernacular English and became mainstream in the 2000s through music and TV. It can sound dismissive, so many co-parents prefer "my child's mother" or "co-parent." In other contexts BM means bowel movement, which medical and baby-care posts also use.
4. Bad manners
Texting & Internet Slang · Gaming Slang Abbreviations
Unsportsmanlike behavior in a match, such as spamming emotes after a kill, teabagging (crouching repeatedly over a defeated player), taunting in chat or dragging out a won game.
Example: Spamming laugh emotes after every kill is pure BM.
The term came from the Korean StarCraft scene, where "BM" described taunting moves that humiliated opponents. "BM" can be a verb ("stop BMing"). Some competitive players accept light BM as part of trash talk, but tournaments may penalize it. Unrelated to "BM" meaning "best man" or "bowel movement" in other contexts.
Related abbreviations
More US Navy and coast guard rating abbreviations
- AO – Aviation Ordnanceman
- AST – Aviation Survival Technician
- AT – Aviation Electronics Technician
- AW – Naval Aircrewman
- BU – Builder
- CE – Construction Electrician
- CM – Construction Mechanic
- CS – Culinary Specialist
See all 52 US Navy and coast guard rating abbreviations →