drivel

English

Etymology

From Old English dravelen, drabelen, drevelen, drivelen, to slaver.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /dɹɪv.əl/, X-SAMPA: /drIv.@l/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪvəl

Noun

drivel (uncountable)

1. senseless talk; nonsense
2. saliva, drool
3. (obsolete) A fool; an idiot.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Sir Philip Sidney to this entry?)

4. (obsolete) A servant; a drudge.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Huloet to this entry?)

Translations

senseless talk

• Bulgarian: глупости (bg) (gluposti) pl, безсмислици (bg) (bezsmislici) pl
• Catalan: ximpleries f pl
• Dutch: geneuzel (nl) n
• Finnish: höpinä (fi), höpöpuhe (fi), höpötys (fi), pöty (fi), hölynpöly (fi)
• French: foutaise (fr)
• German: Blödsinn m, Faselei f, Gefasel n, Gelaber n, Geschwafel n
• Greek: αερολογία (el) (aerología) f, μωρολογία (el) (morología) f, φληνάφημα (el) (flináfima) n, σαλιάρισμα (el) (saliárisma) n

• Polish: bełkot (pl) m
• Portuguese: besteira (pt) f, bobagem (pt) f
• Russian: бессмыслица (ru) (bessmýslica) f, ерунда (ru) (jerundá) f, чепуха (ru) (čepuxá) f, чушь (ru) (čušʹ) f, вздор (ru) (vzdor) m
• Spanish: tonterías (es) f pl, chorradas (es) f pl, babosadas (es) f pl, leseras (es) f pl, macanas (es) f pl, monserga (es) f
• Swedish: dravel (sv) n

saliva, drool

• Bulgarian: лиги (bg) (ligi) pl, слюнка (bg) (sljunka) f
• Dutch: kwijl (nl) n, speeksel (nl) n
• Finnish: sylki (fi), kuola (fi)
• French: bave (fr) f
• German: Geifer m, Sabber m

• Greek: σάλιο (el) (sálio) n
• Hindi: लार (hi) (lār) f
• Portuguese: baba (pt) f
• Russian: слюна (ru) (sljuná) f, слюни (ru) (sljuni) pl
• Swedish: drägel (sv) n, dregel (sv) n

Verb

drivel (third-person singular simple present drivels, present participle driveling or drivelling, simple past and past participle driveled or drivelled)

1. To have saliva drip from the mouth; to drool.
2. To talk nonsense; to talk senselessly

Translations

to have saliva drip from the mouth

• Bulgarian: лигавя се (bg) (ligavja se)
• Catalan: bavejar (ca)
• Dutch: kwijlen (nl)
• French: baver (fr)
• German: sabbern (de)

• Greek: βγάζω σάλια (el) (vgázo sália)
• Portuguese: babar (pt)
• Spanish: babear (es)
• Swedish: dregla (sv), drägla (sv)

to talk nonsense

• Bulgarian: говоря глупости (bg) (govorja gluposti)
• Czech: blábolat (cs), žvanit (cs)
• Finnish: höpsiä (fi), höpöttää (fi), puhua puuta heinää (fi)
• French: radoter (fr)

• Greek: αερολογώ (el) (aerologó), σαλιαρίζω (el) (saliarízo), λέω ανοησίες (el) (léo anoisíes)
• Swedish: dravla (sv)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• German: faseln, geifern, speicheln

• Welsh: glafoeri

Synonyms

• To have saliva drip from the mouth : drool
• To talk nonsense : See also Wikisaurus:nonsense.

References

drivel in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913