I. abbreviation
1. baronet
2. bent
3. boat
4. bought
5. brevet
II. ¦bēˈtē noun
( -s )
Usage: usually capitalized B
Etymology: New Latin Bacillus thuringiensis , species name, literally, Thuringian bacillus; from its discovery in larvae of Mediterranean flour moths from a mill in Thuringia
: a variable bacterium of the genus Bacillus ( B. thuringiensis ) that produces various crystal proteins during sporulation some of which are toxic to various insect larvae especially of the orders Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Coleoptera ; also : a preparation of this bacterium often modified by genetic engineering for use as a biopesticide having activity against specific insects