Bv

Bv, or BV, is an abbreviation that can refer to several distinct concepts depending on context. Notable uses include the ISO country code for Bouvet Island, a Dutch corporate form, a medical condition, and a term in computer science.

Bouvet Island: BV is the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code for Bouvet Island, a remote and uninhabited Norwegian dependency in the South Atlantic. The island is administered by Norway and is largely protected as a nature reserve. The .bv top‑level domain has been reserved, but no active registrations are issued.

Besloten Vennootschap: In the Netherlands and in parts of the Dutch-speaking world, BV stands for Besloten Vennootschap, a privately held limited liability company. Shares are not publicly traded, and the liability of shareholders is limited to their investment. Incorporation typically requires a notarial deed and articles of association; the form is widely used by small and medium-sized enterprises seeking limited liability.

Bacterial vaginosis: BV refers to bacterial vaginosis, a common vaginal infection resulting from a shift in the vaginal microbiota. It may cause discharge and odor, and is associated with certain risk factors and sexual and antibiotic histories. Treatment is determined by a clinician and can include prescribed antibiotics.

Bit-vector: In computer science, a bit-vector (BV) is a data structure that represents a sequence of bits. Bit-vectors are used to model fixed-width integers in programming languages, formal verification, and logical reasoning, where precise control of bit-level operations is important.

These senses illustrate how BV functions as a multi-domain abbreviation, with meanings in geography, law, medicine, and computing.