| Babbitt |
the title character and protagonist of Sinclair Lewis's early twentieth-century novel, who is smug, conventional, and resolutely middle-class. [2 definitions] |
| babbitt |
see "Babbitt metal." [2 definitions] |
| Babbitt metal |
a soft white metal alloy of tin, copper, and antimony that is used as a lining to reduce friction in bearings. |
| babble |
to speak incoherently or with meaningless sounds. [8 definitions] |
| babe |
a recently born or very young person; baby. [4 definitions] |
| babe in the woods |
a naive or inexperienced person, esp. one who can be easily exploited. |
| Babel |
according to the Old Testament, a tower built by the descendants of Noah, which was to reach heaven, a plan frustrated by God, who made communication among workmen impossible by creating a confusion of languages. |
| Babe Ruth |
U.S. professional baseball player, celebrated for his ability to hit home runs and for generating public interest in the sport of baseball; born George Herman Ruth (b.1895--d.1948). |
| Babi |
see "Babism." |
| babirusa |
a wild pig of the East Indies, the male of which has tusks that grow up through the snout and curve backward toward the eyes. |
| Babism |
a nineteenth-century Persian religion that forbade alcohol, polygamy, selling or buying slaves, and begging. |
| baboon |
any of various large African and Arabian monkeys that live on the ground and have long doglike snouts. |
| babu |
a Hindu form of address that is the equivalent of Mr. or Sir, used in eastern India as a term of respect. |
| babushka |
a woman's scarf, usu. triangle-shaped, that is worn on the head and tied under the chin. |
| baby |
a newly-born or very young child in the first stages of development; infant. [12 definitions] |
| baby beef |
a beef animal of twelve to twenty months, fattened for use as meat. |
| baby boom |
the dramatic population increase in the United States during the decade following World War II. |
| baby boomer |
a person born in the United States during the decade following World War II, in which the population increased dramatically. |
| baby carriage |
a small, four-wheeled carriage used to push a baby around in; perambulator. |
| baby doll |
(often pl.) a pajama set consisting of a short, loose-fitting nightgown, often decorated with ribbons, lace, or ruffles, and a matching panty. [4 definitions] |
| baby grand |
the smallest of grand pianos, about five feet long. |