b-boying

noun

b-boy·​ing ˈbē-ˌbȯi-iŋ 

variants or less commonly B-boying

: a style of hip-hop dance in which soloists perform acrobatic moves that often involve touching various parts of the body (such as the back or head) to the ground : breakdancing

… to this day, use of the term b-boying is seen as an indicator of authenticity … .

—Joseph G. Schloss

Kickstarted in the South Bronx as early as '72 … the global phenomenon we've come to appreciate as hip hop has many progenitors, each adding his or her own original spin to graffiti, deejaying, b-boying and emceeing.

—Rachael Carnes

Ian hopes to pursue dance in college and as a career, specifically showing interest in hip-hop and B-boying.

—Allison Bagley

In breakdancing or b-boying culture, the dance circle … is typically a competitive space wherein breakers take turns dancing in the middle while surrounded by onlookers.

—Imani Kai Johnson

Examples of b-boying in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While in motion, they’re considered to be breaking, b-boying or b-girling. —Lauren Merola, The Athletic, 16 July 2024

But by the late-Seventies, the Samurais started B-boying. —Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 22 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

B-boy + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

1984, in the meaning defined above