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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

ba en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • /bɑː/ (UK)
  • /bɔː/ (UK)
  • /bɑ/ (US)

Etymology

Borrowed from Egyptian bꜣ, G53-Z1

Meanings

  1. (Egyptian) A being's soul or personality, represented as a bird-headed figure, which survives after death but must be sustained with offerings of food.
    • But the Ba, I remembered, could be seen as the mistress of your heart and might or might not decide to speak to you, just as the heart cannot always forgive. 1983, Norman Mailer, Ancient Evenings:
    • Any ordinary person who has ever floated out of his body during a nap knows what a Ba is, but unfortunately the dogmas of our materialistic culture constrain the person to ignore and repress his experience. 1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 220:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
bas Number=Plur lexicographic
Source: en.wiktionary, “ba” (noun), dump 20260902, contributors via the page history. Text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ba en · NOUN · etymology 2

Etymology

The sound is very commonly made by infants, and is interpreted by parents as a reference to themselves.

Meanings

  1. (colloquial, in direct address, singular-normally) Father, baba.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
bas Number=Plur lexicographic
Source: en.wiktionary, “ba” (noun), dump 20260902, contributors via the page history. Text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ba en · NOUN · etymology 3

Etymology

Meanings

  1. (historical, singular-normally, uncountable) A medieval football game played in parts of Scotland around Christmas and New Year.
    • The townsmen played ba often and clearly knew what they were doing. 2011, Alistair Moffat, The Borders:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
ba' alternative lexicographic
Source: en.wiktionary, “ba” (noun), dump 20260902, contributors via the page history. Text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ba en · NOUN · etymology 4

Meanings

  1. (abbreviation, alt-of, in real estate ads, singular-normally) Abbreviation of bathroom.
    alt of bathroom
    • 2 beds, 1 ba

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
bas Number=Plur lexicographic

Coordinates

br

Relateds

BA

Source: en.wiktionary, “ba” (noun), dump 20260902, contributors via the page history. Text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ba en · PART · etymology 5

Pronunciation

  • [p˭ɑ˨] (Singapore)

Etymology

From Mandarin 吧 (ba).

Meanings

  1. (Manglish, Singlish, singular-normally) Used to indicate a tentative suggestion.
    • I think you should go see a doctor ba.
  2. (Manglish, Singlish, singular-normally) Used to indicate confident speculation.
    • rich pple in here... 15" Conti for 800? thats a little steep... same class as ps4s? / 18" tires about 600 to 750 bah... 2024 June 7, Vegas, “Planning to get new Rims & Tyres”, in MyCarForum, archived from the original on 21 Jun 2024:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
bah alternative lexicographic

Relateds

already · ba1 · know · lah1–14 · in · hor1 · ba-dum-tss · leh3–6 · Gupta · lor1 · leh1–2 · ba2 · mah · A. F. (1992) · one1–3 · hah1–3 · only · number 1 · ah6 · volume 18 · ah1–3 · nia · liao · hor2 · what · meh · ba-dum-ching · lor2–3 · leh7–11 · sia · →DOI