Since dB is, by definition, a relative term it's no surprise you were confused since there is not anything for it to relate to. The best I can guess is that the

Since dB is, by definition, a relative term it's no surprise you were confused since there is not anything for it to relate to. The best I can guess is that they mean to say 80dB(A) which relates the sound to a certain air pressure. The value is then weighted to approximate how an ear would respond. 80dB(A) has been likened to standing around 26ft from busy traffic or being 2 feet away from an alarm clock (bell or buzzer not specified).