USB

American  

abbreviation

Computers.

1. universal serial bus: an external serial bus interface standard for connecting peripheral devices to a computer, as in a or .

---

USB British  

abbreviation

1. Universal Serial Bus: a standard for connection sockets on computers and other electronic equipment

---

Etymology

Origin of USB

First recorded in 1995

Example Sentences

Sitting in his home with other family members and a reporter, Al-Saadi brought out hard drives, USB sticks and a laptop with dozens of files from security cameras.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

"Just as a USB adapter allows devices with different connectors to work together, Floquet magnons could bridge frequencies that would otherwise remain incompatible."

From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2026

Users record from the Toosheh satellite TV channel onto a USB stick plugged into their set-top box, which they can then decrypt using a special app installed on their phone or computer.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

The inhabitants have braids that function like USB cables that can be plugged into the nearest plant.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

These reporters, who use cell phones and smuggle out sound and video recordings on tiny USB memory sticks, have revolutionized news coverage of North Korea.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden