Barbie

See also: barbie and bărbie

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)bi

Etymology 1

Barbara +‎ -ie

Proper noun

Barbie (plural Barbies)

1. A diminutive of the female given name Barbara.

Translations

diminutive of Barbara

• Arabic: بَارْبِي f (bārbī)
• Dutch: Babs, Babbe
• Esperanto: Barnjo
• Russian: Ба́рби (ru) f (Bárbi), Ва́ря (ru) f (Várja) (diminutive of Варва́ра (Varvára))

Etymology 2

Named for Barbara Handler-Segal, daughter of Mattel co-founder Elliot Handler, in 1959.

Noun

Barbie (plural Barbies)

1. A tall, slender female fashion doll.
   • 1964, Young Children, National Association for the Education of Young Children, volume 55, page 10:

     They discourage their young children from engaging in rough-and-tumble play. One mother said, “I like Hai-Mei quiet. I like her playing Barbies, writing, and singing.”

   • 1968, Paul Krassner (editor), The Realist, Realist Association, volumes 84-93, page 68:

     Everything short of the toe-to-toe Truth and Love that comes from real confrontation of individual consciousness is just playing with Barbie dolls.

   • 1976, Across the Board, The Conference Board, volumes 13-14, page 20:

     Sarah, who is ten, says she doesn’t play with Barbies anymore, although she takes a certain scientific interest […] .

   • 2005, Linda Hoffman Kimball, Apple Pies & Promises, Cedar Fort,, →ISBN, page 51:

     Many of my feminist friends hate Barbie because they feel that she sends a terrible message to girls […]

2. (by extension, informal, derogatory) A beautiful but stupid or shallow young woman.

   Synonym: dolly

Coordinate terms

• Ken doll

Derived terms

• Barbiesque
• Barbiefication

Translations

doll

• Arabic: بَارْبِي f (bārbī)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 芭比娃娃 (zh) (Bābǐ wáwá), 芭比 (zh) (Bābǐ)

• Czech: barbína (cs) f
• Danish: Barbiedukke c, Barbie-dukke c, Barbie c
• Finnish: barbi (fi)
• German: Barbie (de) f, Barbiepuppe f
• Japanese: バービー (Bābī)
• Korean: 바비 (Babi)
• Marathi: बार्बी f (bārbī)
• Russian: Ба́рби (ru) f (Bárbi)
• Serbo-Croatian: barbika (sh) f
• Swedish: barbiedocka (sv) c, barbie c

a beautiful but stupid or shallow young woman

• Czech: barbína (cs) f
• Finnish: blondi (fi), bimbo (fi)
• Russian: ку́кла (ru) f (kúkla) (doll, puppet)
• Serbo-Croatian: barbika (sh) f

Anagrams

• Rabbie

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German

Etymology

Borrowed from French Barbier.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Barbie

1. a surname

   Klaus Barbie ― Klaus Barbie

Further reading

• “Barbie” in Duden online