abbreviation
bbs
bee-bee-ESS
Bbs (abbreviation) means Be back soon; typed in chat, gaming and messaging to say you are stepping away for a short while. Example: “bbs, someone's at the door.”
abbreviation
1
informal Be back soon; typed in chat, gaming and messaging to say you are stepping away for a short while.
"bbs, someone's at the door."
"She went bbs about twenty minutes ago."
noun
1
A bulletin board system: a computer running software that users dialled into by modem to read messages, swap files and play text games, widely used before the World Wide Web.
"He ran a two-line BBS out of his bedroom in 1992."
"The old BBS scene is where a lot of internet culture started."
How to use bbs
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishChat shorthand for 'be back soon'.
When to use it
Informal in chat. In writing about computing history, BBS is capitalised and takes 'a' or 'the'.
Memory tip
BRB means back in a minute or two; BBS suggests a slightly longer break.
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
bbs in five
brb bbs
dial-up BBS
BBS door game
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_____, someone's at the door.
Etymology
An initialism of be back soon; the computing sense is an initialism of bulletin board system.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for bbs
See all rhymes for bbs →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between bbs and brb?
Both say you are leaving briefly. BRB, be right back, implies a very short absence of a minute or two. BBS, be back soon, is vaguer and usually means a somewhat longer gap. BBL, be back later, is longer still.
What was a BBS in computing?
It was a computer you dialled directly with a modem, before the web existed, to post on message boards, download files and play text-based games. Most were run by hobbyists, handled only one or a few callers at a time, and served a local phone area.
What is the meaning of bbs?
"bbs" (abbreviation) means be back soon; typed in chat, gaming and messaging to say you are stepping away for a short while.
What is another word for bbs?
Other words for "bbs" include brb, be right back, afk, bulletin board system, dial-up board.
