| Back | The back of a lode is the part of it nearest the surface; the back of a level is that portion of the lode extending above it to within a short distance of the level next above.
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| Bal | A Cornish miner's term for a mine.
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| Bal maiden | A female surface worker employed mainly in dressing the ores prior to smelting.
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| Bargain | A miner's contract negotiated with the Mine Captain to perform certain work for a certain price.
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| Barra | A bar, an iron crowbar sometimes struck with a pica; equal shares into which the interest in a mine is divided, usually 24 in number.
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| Barra de plata | A bar of silver, usually about 135 marcs or 1,080 ounces.
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| Barrena | A drill or borer used in blasting.
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| Barenadore | A man responsible for blasting.
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| Barrenero | A boy who attends with the boring tools.
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| Baretta | A miner's bar or crow.
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| Barreteros | Miners who work with crowbars, wedge, or pick.
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| Batea | A prospector's pan; a wooden bowl used in re-washing ores.
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| Bazo | Beneath, low, lower part.
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| Beneficio | Making the metallic contents of the ore available by reduction.
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| Bob | The engine beam that transfers the power from the engine to the pitwork. The bob wall of the engine house supports this beam.
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| Blasting | Shattering the rock-face with gunpowder or other high explosive.
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| Boca | Mouth, entrance, or pit of a mine; the first opening made in the vein
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| Boletas | Tickets of sale of ores; cheque tickets; account of charges and produce of one amalgamation operation
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| Bomba | A pump
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| Bombaderos | Men who operate the pumps
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| Bonanza | A mine in bonanza is in a prosperous state; stopping costs, yielding profits
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| Borrasca | A mine in borrasca is in an unproductive state; does not stop costs
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| Borer | A round piece of iron with one end steeled, also known as an augur or drill
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| Bota | A leather or hide bucket used for transporting water
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| Branch | A small vein which separates from the lode, and frequently again unites with it, or a string of ore falling into the lode
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| Bucking | The final hand reduction of ore for the separation of waste. A bucker performs this task using a bucking iron (short handled, flat faced hammer) on a buck stone to break the ore into walnut-sized pieces.
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| Bunch or Squat of ore | A quantity of ore of small extent; more than a stone, and not so much as a course.
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| Buddle | An apparatus in which stamped tin is washed from its impurities.
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| Burning house | The furnace in which ore is calcined to sublime the sulphur from pyrites; being more decomposed, pyrites are then more readily removed by washing.
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| Burro | A hand whim, a windlass.
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| Burrow | A mound of waste rock or attle.
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| Buscones | Tributers, or miners who work on part proceeds; also, those who search for ores in a metalliferous district generally, or in a mine for such ores as may have been neglected and left behind by others.
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