ba
ba — noun
- basingular
- basplural
1. A university qualification given to students who finish a course of study in sub
A university qualification given to students who finish a course of study in subjects such as literature, history, or sociology. The letters BA can also refer to someone who has earned this degree.
Farida has a BA in History from the University of Sussex.
pattern: have a BA in [subject]
Dario earned his BA in Economics and now works at a bank in Milan.
collocation: earn a BA in [subject]
After completing her BA in Sociology, Marta applied for a job in Tokyo.
Baraka is a BA graduate who studied Political Science at the University of Nairobi.
- Bachelor of Arts
the full form that BA abbreviates; more formal
- first degree
a more general term for any undergraduate qualification
- BSc
a Bachelor of Science degree, focused on scientific subjects rather than arts or social sciences
文法句型
have/get/earn a BA in [subject]
常見錯誤
ba — abbreviation
1. The written symbol for barium, a soft silver-white metal from group 2 of the per
The written symbol for barium, a soft silver-white metal from group 2 of the periodic table. In scientific writing, Ba is used in chemical formulas and equations.
On the periodic table, Ba stands for barium, a soft silvery metal.
pattern: Ba stands for [element name]
The chemistry teacher asked Eli to name the element with the symbol Ba.
A bottle labelled Ba was kept in the locked chemical storage room at the lab.
Heloísa drank a liquid containing Ba before the hospital X-ray of her stomach.
- barium
the full name of the element; used in ordinary language
用法筆記
Used only in scientific and technical writing. In chemistry problems and lab reports, Ba appears as the abbreviation for barium in formulas such as BaSO₄ (barium sulfate).
常見錯誤
2. A short form used in medical records and reports for bronchial asthma, a long-te
A short form used in medical records and reports for bronchial asthma, a long-term lung disease that makes it hard to breathe.
The doctor wrote BA in Heather's medical file to note her bronchial asthma.
usage: BA in medical records
Patients with severe BA are told to keep an inhaler with them at all times.
Dr. Nakamura reviewed the hospital study on children diagnosed with BA under age five.
The clinic treated over fifty BA patients last year with a new combination of medicines.
- bronchial asthma
the full medical term; BA is the written abbreviation
用法筆記
Almost exclusively found in clinical notes, medical databases, and specialist publications. Not used in everyday conversation or general writing.
3. Written abbreviation for Bachelor of Arts, used after a person's name to show th
Written abbreviation for Bachelor of Arts, used after a person's name to show that they hold this university degree.
Heather Wu, BA, was invited to speak at the education conference in Taipei.
pattern: [Name], BA — title after a name
The nameplate on the office door read Dario Kim, BA.
Marta added the letters BA after her name on all her business cards.
The graduation programme listed each student with BA or BSc next to their name.
- Bachelor of Arts
the full form; BA is the written abbreviation
用法筆記
Distinguish from the noun sense: abbreviation/3 refers to the letters BA used as a title following a name (e.g. in signatures or official lists), while the noun sense refers to the degree as a qualification (e.g. 'She has a BA').
常見錯誤
4. A number in baseball that shows how often a player gets a hit when they go up to
A number in baseball that shows how often a player gets a hit when they go up to bat. It is calculated by dividing the number of hits by the number of at-bats.
Baraka led the team with a BA of .312 for the entire season.
pattern: BA of [decimal number]
In professional baseball, a BA of .300 or higher is considered very good.
The coach checks each player's BA before deciding who bats first in the game.
Eli's BA dropped below .250 after he struck out three times in one week.
- batting average
the full term; BA is the standard written abbreviation
用法筆記
Common in baseball commentary, sports journalism, and player statistics. The full term 'batting average' is more frequent in spoken language; BA is typical in written tables and scoreboards.
常見錯誤
5. An informal written abbreviation for Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina
An informal written abbreviation for Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina.
The flight from Madrid to BA takes about twelve hours.
pattern: travel to/from BA
Eli moved to BA to study tango dancing at a local academy in San Telmo.
Heloísa's postcard from BA showed a picture of the famous Obelisco monument.
The package was sent to an office address in BA, Argentina, with tracking insurance.
- Buenos Aires
the full city name; BA is an informal abbreviation
用法筆記
Found mainly in travel writing, informal notes, and logistics labels. In formal writing, the city name is usually spelled out in full.