BS
Abbreviation with 7 meanings
| Stands for | Bachelor of Science |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 7 |
| Categories | Education & Academia, Texting & Internet Slang, Medical, Geography & Places, Sports |
BS has seven meanings. The most common are Bachelor of Science (degree) and Bulls*** (texting and chat); it can also stand for Blood sugar, Bowel sounds, Breath sounds, Bahamas and Blown save.
Meanings of BS at a glance
| # | BS stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bachelor of Science | Education & Academia › Degree |
| 2 | Bulls*** | Texting & Internet Slang › Texting and Chat |
| 3 | Blood sugar | Medical › Nursing |
| 4 | Bowel sounds | Medical › Patient Assessment |
| 5 | Breath sounds | Medical › Patient Assessment |
| 6 | Bahamas | Geography & Places › Country Code |
| 7 | Blown save | Sports › Baseball |
1. Bachelor of Science
Education & Academia · Degree Abbreviations
Four-year undergraduate degree emphasizing mathematics, natural sciences, engineering, technology, business or health, with more major and laboratory credits than a typical BA. American engineering, nursing and computer science programs award the BS almost exclusively.
Example: He holds a BS in mechanical engineering from Purdue and an MBA from Indiana University.
Written B.S. in AP style. British and Commonwealth universities write BSc, and MIT awards the SB. Whether psychology or economics leads to a BA or a BS varies by school and usually reflects the number of quantitative courses rather than prestige. Because "BS" is also slang for nonsense, some writers prefer B.S. or BSc in informal contexts.
2. Bulls***
Texting & Internet Slang · Texting and Chat Abbreviations
Mildly vulgar term for nonsense, lies or unfair treatment, used to call out a claim ("that's BS") or to complain ("this traffic is BS"). Widely understood by all ages in speech as well as writing.
Example: The refund policy is total BS, they charged me twice.
Saying the letters aloud is itself a common euphemism that lets speakers avoid the full word, yet it is still considered crude, so avoid it at work and in school. Unrelated to the academic BS (Bachelor of Science), which the surrounding words make clear. Also used as a verb: "stop BSing me."
3. Blood sugar
Medical · Nursing Abbreviations
Bedside or laboratory glucose level, written in nursing notes and orders as shorthand for blood glucose. It is most often a fingerstick result in patients with diabetes, on steroids or receiving tube feeds or parenteral nutrition.
Example: BS 342 before lunch, sliding scale given, provider notified per protocol.
Ambiguous because BS also means bowel sounds and breath sounds, so many facilities prefer BG or simply "glucose". Values are in mg/dL in the United States and mmol/L in the UK, Canada and Australia; dividing mg/dL by 18 converts between them. Patient-facing materials avoid BS because of its slang meaning.
4. Bowel sounds
Medical · Patient Assessment Abbreviations
Gurgling noises produced by movement of gas and fluid through the intestines, heard with a stethoscope over the abdomen. They are charted as present, hypoactive, hyperactive or absent.
Example: Abd soft, BS present x4 quadrants, passing flatus.
Many textbooks teach listening for several minutes before calling sounds absent. High-pitched tinkling sounds can suggest early bowel obstruction, while absent sounds suggest ileus. Because BS also means breath sounds and blood sugar, many facilities prefer writing the words out.
5. Breath sounds
Medical · Patient Assessment Abbreviations
Sounds of air moving through the airways heard over the chest with a stethoscope, described as normal (vesicular), diminished, absent or with added sounds such as crackles, wheezes or rhonchi.
Example: BS diminished R base, coarse crackles L lower lobe; chest X-ray ordered.
Absent breath sounds on one side after trauma or intubation may indicate pneumothorax or a tube in the right mainstem bronchus. Chart notes often write "BBS" for bilateral breath sounds. The surrounding exam words show whether BS refers to the chest or the abdomen.
6. Bahamas
Geography & Places · Country Code Abbreviations
Archipelago of about 700 islands and cays north of Cuba, independent from Britain since July 10, 1973. The Bahamas have Nassau as their capital and BHS as their alpha-3 code.
Example: Cruise passengers stopping in Nassau entered BS on the arrival card.
The Bahamian dollar (BSD) is pegged at par to the US dollar. BS is also slang for nonsense and abbreviates Bachelor of Science.
7. Blown save
Sports · Baseball Abbreviations
Charged to a reliever who enters in a save situation and lets the tying or go-ahead run score. A pitcher can blow a save and still earn the win if his team rallies.
Example: His third BS of the month cost him the closer's job.
Blown saves are counted by MLB and stat sites, though not part of the original rule. A closer's save percentage is saves divided by save opportunities. Outside baseball BS is a common euphemism for nonsense.
Related abbreviations
More degree abbreviations
- BFA – Bachelor of Fine Arts
- BGS – Bachelor of General Studies
- BMus – Bachelor of Music
- BPharm – Bachelor of Pharmacy
- BSBA – Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
- BSc – Bachelor of Science
- BSCS – Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
- BSEE – Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
See all 139 degree abbreviations →
More texting and chat abbreviations
- BFFL – Best friends for life
- BFN – Bye for now
- BRB – Be right back
- BRT – Be right there
- BTDT – Been there, done that
- BTW – By the way
- CBA – Can't be arsed
- CMB – Call me back
See all 215 texting and chat abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.