%bab%

a. [ Cf. F. absorbable. ] Capable of being absorbed or swallowed up. Kerr. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. (Geography) The capital city of Ethiopia. Population (2000) = 2, 200, 186. [ PJC ]

a. Capable of being ascribed; attributable. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Per. ] Lit., gate; -- a title given to the founder of Babism, and taken from that of Bab-ud-Din, assumed by him. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

‖n. [ F. ] A kind of plum cake. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a tall feather palm of northern Brazil (Orbignya barbosiana) with hard-shelled nuts yielding a valuable oil (
babassu oil) and a kind of vegetable ivory.
Syn. -- babassu palm, coco de macao, Orbignya phalerata, Orbignya spesiosa, Orbignya martiana. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. To line with Babbitt metal. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. lining a surface or bearing with babbitt metal.
Syn. -- babbitting [ WordNet 1.5 ]

[ From the inventor, Isaac Babbitt of Massachusetts. ] A soft white alloy of variable composition (as a nine parts of tin to one of copper, or of fifty parts of tin to five of antimony and one of copper) used in bearings to diminish friction. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Babbled p. pr. & vb. n. Babbling. ] [ Cf. LG. babbeln, D. babbelen, G. bappeln, bappern, F. babiller, It. babbolare; prob. orig., to keep saying ba, imitative of a child learning to talk. ] 1. To utter words indistinctly or unintelligibly; to utter inarticulate sounds; as a child babbles. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To talk incoherently; to utter unmeaning words. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To talk much; to chatter; to prate. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To make a continuous murmuring noise, as shallow water running over stones. [ 1913 Webster ]

In every babbling brook he finds a friend. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Hounds are said to babble, or to be babbling, when they are too noisy after having found a good scent. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To prate; prattle; chatter; gossip. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To utter in an indistinct or incoherent way; to repeat, as words, in a childish way without understanding. [ 1913 Webster ]

These [ words ] he used to babble in all companies. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To disclose by too free talk, as a secret. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Idle talk; senseless prattle; gabble; twaddle. “This is mere moral babble.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Inarticulate speech; constant or confused murmur. [ 1913 Webster ]

The babble of our young children. Darwin. [ 1913 Webster ]

The babble of the stream. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Babble. Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. An idle talker; an irrational prater; a teller of secrets. [ 1913 Webster ]

Great babblers, or talkers, are not fit for trust. L'Estrange. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A hound too noisy on finding a good scent. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Zool.) A name given to any one of a family (Timalinæ) of thrushlike birds, having a chattering note. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Babble. [ Obs. ] Sir T. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Ir. bab, baban, W. baban, maban. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. An infant; a young child of either sex; a baby. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A doll for children. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Babyhood. [ R. ] Udall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Heb. Bābel, the name of the capital of Babylonia; in Genesis associated with the idea of “confusion.” ] 1. The city and tower in the land of Shinar, where the confusion of languages took place. [ 1913 Webster ]

Therefore is the name of it called Babel. Gen. xi. 9. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence: A place or scene of noise and confusion; a confused mixture of sounds, as of voices or languages. [ 1913 Webster ]

That babel of strange heathen languages. Hammond. [ 1913 Webster ]

The grinding babel of the street. R. L. Stevenson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Perh. orig. for baboonery. Cf. Baboon, and also Babe. ] Finery of a kind to please a child. [ Obs. ] “Painted babery.” Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , n. The doctrine of a modern religious pantheistical sect in Persia, which was founded, about 1844, by Mirza Ali Mohammed ibn Rabhik (1820 -- 1850), who assumed the title of Bab-ed-Din (Per., Gate of the Faith). Babism is a mixture of Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Parsi elements. This doctrine forbids concubinage and polygamy, and frees women from many of the degradations imposed upon them among the orthodox Muslims. Mendicancy, the use of intoxicating liquors and drugs, and slave dealing, are forbidden; asceticism is discountenanced. -- Bab"ist, n. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

‖n. [ F., a babbler. ] (Zool.) The lesser whitethroat of Europe; -- called also babbling warbler. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Dr. Babbington. ] (Min.) A mineral occurring in triclinic crystals approaching pyroxene in angle, and of a greenish black color. It is a silicate of iron, manganese, and lime. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ See Baboon. ] A baboon. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖ ‖ } n. [ F. babiroussa, fr. Malay bābī hog + rūsa deer. ] (Zool.) A large hoglike quadruped (Sus babirussa, syn. Porcus babirussa) of the East Indies, sometimes domesticated; the Indian hog. Its upper canine teeth or tusks are large and recurved. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Like a babe; a childish; babyish. [ R. ] “Babish imbecility.” Drayton. -- Bab"ish*ly, adv. -- Bab"ish*ness, n. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A believer in Babism. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Cf. Per. babūl a species of mimosa yielding gum arabic. ] The rind of the fruit of several East Indian species of acacia; neb-neb. It contains gallic acid and tannin, and is used for dyeing drab. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , n. [ See Bablah. ] (Bot.) Any one of several species of Acacia, esp. Acacia Arabica, which yelds a gum used as a substitute for true gum arabic. [ 1913 Webster ]

In place of Putney's golden gorse
The sickly babul blooms. Kipling. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ OE. babewin, baboin, fr. F. babouin, or LL. babewynus. Of unknown origin; cf. D. baviaan, G. pavian, baboon, F. babine lip of ape, dogs, etc., dial. G. bäppe mouth. ] (Zool.) One of the Old World Quadrumana, of the genera Cynocephalus and Papio; the dog-faced ape. Baboons have dog-like muzzles and large canine teeth, cheek pouches, a short tail, and naked callosities on the buttocks. They are mostly African. See Mandrill, and Chacma, and Drill an ape. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Baboonish behavior. Marryat. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Like a baboon. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖ ‖ } n. [ Hind. bābū. ] A Hindu gentleman; a native clerk who writes English; also, a Hindu title equivalent to the English Mr. or Esquire. Whitworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Babies [ Dim. of babe. ] An infant or young child of either sex; a babe. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A small image of an infant; a doll. [ 1913 Webster ]

Babies in the eyes, the minute reflection which one sees of one's self in the eyes of another. [ 1913 Webster ]

She clung about his neck, gave him ten kisses,
Toyed with his locks, looked babies in his eyes. Heywood. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to, or resembling, an infant; young or little; as, baby swans. “Baby figure” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Babied p. pr. & vb. n. Babying. ] To treat like a young child; to keep dependent; to humor; to fondle. Young. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. delicate California annual having blue flowers marked with dark spots.
Syn. -- baby blue-eyes, Nemophila menziesii [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. having a face resembling that of a baby [ WordNet 1.5 ]

A place where the nourishment and care of babies are offered for hire. [ 1913 Webster ]

One who keeps a baby farm. [ 1913 Webster ]

. The business of keeping a baby farm. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or period of infancy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A place for children's dolls and dolls' furniture. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Like a baby; childish; puerile; simple. -- Ba"by*ish*ly, adv. -- Ba"by*ish*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The state of being a baby. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A babyish manner of acting or speaking. [ 1913 Webster ]

A hoop suspended by an elastic strap, in which a young child may be held secure while amusing itself by jumping on the floor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to the real or to the mystical Babylon, or to the ancient kingdom of Babylonia; Chaldean. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. 1. An inhabitant of Babylonia (which included Chaldea); a Chaldean. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An astrologer; -- so called because the Chaldeans were remarkable for the study of astrology. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. 1. Pertaining to Babylon, or made there; as, Babylonic garments, carpets, or hangings. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Tumultuous; disorderly. [ Obs. ] Sir J. Harrington. [ 1913 Webster ]