booby
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Contents |
English [edit]
Etymology 1 [edit]
17th Century. Spanish bobo, from Latin balbus (“stammering”).
Pronunciation [edit]
- Rhymes: -uːbi
Noun [edit]
booby (plural boobies)
- A stupid person.
- (by extension) Any of various large tropical seabirds from the genera Sula and Papasula in the gannet family Sulidae, traditionally considered to be stupid.
- 1638 Herbert, Sir Thomas Some years travels into divers parts of Asia and Afrique
- At which time, ſome Boobyes, weary of flight, made our Ship their pearch, an animall ſo ſimple as ſuffers any to take her without feare, as if a ſtupid ſenſe made her careleſſe of danger...
- 1638 Herbert, Sir Thomas Some years travels into divers parts of Asia and Afrique
- A species of penguin of the Antarctic seas.
Synonyms [edit]
Derived terms [edit]
- Abbott's booby, Papasula abbotti
- blue-footed booby, Sula nebouxii
- brown booby, Sula leucogaster
- masked booby, Sula dactylatra
- Nazca booby, Sula granti
- Peruvian booby, Sula variegata
- red-footed booby, Sula sula
- Tasman booby, Sula dactylatra tasmani
- booby trap
Translations [edit]
stupid person
bird
Etymology 2 [edit]
Variant of the earlier bubby. The shortened term boob is a further development from this.
Noun [edit]
booby (plural boobies)
- (slang) a woman’s breast
- 1934 Henry Miller, Tropic of Cancer
- At ten o’clock she was lying on the divan with her boobies in her hands.
- 1934 Henry Miller, Tropic of Cancer
Translations [edit]
woman’s breast
