Vitamin B

== German == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /vitamiːn ˈbeː/, [vi.taˌmiːn ˈbeː], [ˌvɪ-], [ˌviː-], [ʋ-] Secondary stress would fall on /miːn/ by default, but tends to be retracted to the first syllable. === Etymology 1 === From Vitamin (“vitamin”), the umbrella term. This subgroup was categorised by Elmer McCollum in 1916 as water-soluble factor B (later vitamin B), hence the letter B. ==== Noun ==== Vitamin B n (strong, genitive Vitamins B, plural Vitamine B) (biochemistry) the Vitamin B complex (collectively), or a particular member of it (as totum pro parte) ===== Declension ===== ===== Related terms ===== B-Vitamin === Etymology 2 === Humorous re-interpretation of Etymology 1, interpreting B as an abbreviation for Beziehungen (“connections”) and alluding to their vital importance. Compare Gulf Arabic فيتامين و (vītāmīn wāw, “vitamin W, i.e. nepotism”) and, more loosely, Persian بند «پ» (band-e p, “paragraph P, i.e. nepotism, cronyism”). ==== Noun ==== Vitamin B n (strong, genitive Vitamins B, no plural) (colloquial) connections (people with whom one is acquainted who can offer help and influence) ===== Declension =====