/ˈbuːbi/
Origin17th century. From Spanish bobo, from Latin balbus (“stammering”).
(bird): Compare typologically Translingual Morus, German Tölpel, Polish głuptak (akin to głupek), Russian о́луша (óluša) (akin to о́лух (ólux)).
- A stupid person.
“A Frenchman, in his own Country, would dress a fine Dinner of twenty Dishes, and all genteel and pretty, for the Expence he will put an English Lord to for dressing one Dish. But then there is the lit”
“The daughter is said to be well-bred and beautiful; the son an awkward booby, reared up and spoiled at his mother's apron-string.”
“As for the Pyramids, there is nothing to wonder at in them so much as the fact that so many men could be found degraded enough to spend their lives constructing a tomb for some ambitious booby, whom i”
- Any of various large tropical seabirds from the genera Sula and Papasula in the family Sulidae, traditionally considered to be stupid.
“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...”
“We found on St. Paul's only two kinds of birds—the booby and the noddy. The former is a species of gannet, and the latter a tern. Both are of a tame and stupid disposition, and are so unaccustomed to ”
“Boobies are powerful, aerobatic fliers, and they can be challenging to photograph.”
- In the game of croquet, a ball that has not passed through the first wicket.
“A booby may displace another booby or a bridged ball by roquet, ricochet, or concussion.”
- childish, colloquialA breast.
“At ten o’clock she was lying on the divan with her boobies in her hands.”
“Got my neck, got my boobies / Got my heart, got my soul / Got my back, I got my sex”
“She is beyond hot: her long, black, curly hair cascades around her naked boobies!”
- intransitive, rareTo behave stupidly; to act like a booby.
“Who lounge and who loot, and who booby about, / No knowledge within, and no manners without;”
- transitiveTo install a booby trap on or at (something); to attack (someone) with a booby trap.
“Self Boobied. Donald E. Campbell of Merritt Island, Fla., accidentally tripped on one of the shotgun shell booby traps he had installed”
- obsolete, slangStupid; unintelligent.
“When we arrived at the houſe, I was in the utmoſt confuſion; for the booby ſervants ſtood gaping and grinning at my diſtreſs, and Sir Sampſson himſelf told me, with a laugh as horrible as Caliban's, t”
- informalDisplaying breasts prominently.
“If it's too tight, I don't want the fat coming out heeya?' She points to the danger spot, where upper arm brushes against glorious bosom, and the top of a strapless dress can cut an unsightly line. 'A”
“We did a photoshoot the week before and she took the dress from the shoot and said: "I want to wear this for the awards next week. Her publicist was like, "Don't you think it's a bit 'booby' for a kid”
“Everyone has their paranoias. And we all chip in, swap handbags and jewellery, and offer lots of support when one or another is having doubts about their frock.
'Wow, you look amazing!'
'Aw, I think I”
- informalHaving large breasts.
“Can I borrow your pink lacey bra?
Why? You're like three sizes boobier than me?”
Formsboobies(plural) · boobies(present, singular, third-person) · boobying(participle, present) · boobied(participle, past) · boobied(past) · more booby(comparative) · most booby(superlative) · boobier(comparative) · boobiest(superlative)