noun

TB

tee-BEE

TB (noun) means Tuberculosis: an infectious disease caused by a bacterium, usually attacking the lungs and spread through the air by coughing, and treatable with a long course of antibiotics. Example: “He was treated for TB for six months and made a full recovery.”

noun

Tuberculosis: an infectious disease caused by a bacterium, usually attacking the lungs and spread through the air by coughing, and treatable with a long course of antibiotics.

"He was treated for TB for six months and made a full recovery."

"Latent TB causes no symptoms but can become active years later."

Terabyte: a unit of digital storage equal to about a thousand gigabytes.

"The backup drive holds 4 TB."

"A two-hour film in high definition is a fraction of a TB."

sport Total bases: in baseball, the number of bases a batter reaches on their own hits, counting one for a single up to four for a home run.

"He led the league in total bases that season."

How to Use TB

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishUsually a lung infection called tuberculosis, or a large unit of computer storage.

When to use it

Both senses are standard; context makes the meaning obvious.

Easily confused with

terabyte terabit TBC

Common pairings

TB test drug-resistant TB contract TB 1 TB SSD TB of storage

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He was treated for _____ for six months and made a full recovery.

Etymology

An initialism: of tuberculosis in the medical sense, and of terabyte in the computing sense.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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tuberculosis consumption

Related Words

consumer consumption usage intake tuberculosis uptake ingestion

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between latent TB and active TB?

In latent TB the bacteria are present but dormant, so there are no symptoms and the person is not infectious. In active TB the bacteria are multiplying, causing cough, fever, night sweats and weight loss, and the person can pass it on.

Is TB the same as a terabyte?

Only in computing. Written in capitals next to a number, TB means terabyte; in a health context it means tuberculosis. Note that Tb with a lowercase b means terabit, which is eight times smaller.

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