Bab

‖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 ]