something unfermented, or made without leaven; as unleavened bread. Sea biscuit is of this kind; and therefore, according to Galen, less wholesome than bread that has been fermented.

B.

B, THE second letter of the English and most other alphabets. It is the first consonant, and first mute, and its pronunciation is supposed to resemble the bleating of a sheep; upon which account Pierius tells us in his hieroglyphics, that the Egyptians represented the sound of this letter by the figure of that animal.

B is also one of those letters which the eastern grammarians call labial, because the principal organs employed in its pronunciation are the lips. It is pronounced ced by pressing the whole length of them together, and forcing them open with a strong breath. It has a near affinity with the other labials P and V, and is often used for P both by the Armenians and other orientals, as in Betrus for Petrus, opseus for absens, &c. and by the Romans for V, as in amabit for amavit, berna for verna, &c. whence arose that jest of Aurelian on the emperor Bonofus, Non ut vivat natus est, sed ut bibat.

Plutarch observes, that the Macedonians changed φ into B, and pronounced Bilip, Berenice, &c. for Philip, Phereence, &c.; and those of Delphos used B instead of Π, βασιν for πασιν, βιζος for πινος, &c.—The Latins said suppono, oppono, for subpono, obpono; and pronounced optimuit, though they wrote obtinuit, as Quintilian has observed.—They also used B for F or PH: thus, in an ancient inscription mentioned by Gruter, OBRENDARIO is used for OFRENDARIO.

As a numeral, B was used by the Greeks and Hebrews to denote 2; but among the Romans for 300, and with a dash over it (thus ̄B) for 3000.

B is also used as an abbreviation. Thus B. A. stands for bachelor of arts; B. L. for bachelor of laws; and B. D. for bachelor of divinity. B. F. in the preface to the decrees or senatus consulta of the old Romans, signified bonum faciium. In music, B stands for the tone above A; as B♭, or bB, does for B flat, or the femitone major above A. B also stands for bass; and B. C. for basso continuo, or thorough-bass.