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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

babe en · NOUN

Pronunciation

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰā- Proto-Germanic *bō-redup. Proto-Germanic *babô Proto-West Germanic *babō Old English *baba Middle English babe English babe From Middle English babe, a variant of earlier baban, perhaps from Old English *baba (“boy, child”), from Proto-West Germanic *babō, from Proto-Germanic *babô, reduplicated variant of *ba-, *bō- (“father, brother, close male relation”). cognates and related terms Related to Old Frisian bobba (“child”) (whence North Frisian babbe, babb, babe (“child”)), Old High German Babo (a male forename), see boy. Otherwise, origin obscure. Compare mama, dada, papa. Welsh baban (“baby”), believed by Skeat to be a mutation of maban, a diminutive of mab (“son”), is probably rather a borrowing from English. Cognate also with English bub.

Meanings

  1. (literary, poetic) A baby or infant; a very young human or animal.
    • Though he possess sweet babes and loving wife, A home of peace by loyal friendships cheered, And love them more than death or happy life, 1874, James Thomson, The City of Dreadful Night:
    • These events came to pass when he was but a babe.
  2. (slang) An attractive person, especially a young woman.
    • She's a real babe!
    • During the 1980s, its vivid streetlife became a symbol of the “consumer socialism” that distinguished Hungary from other Eastern Bloc states, but Budapesters today are rather less enamoured of Váci: dressed-to-kill babes and their sugar daddies would rather pose in malls, and teenagers can find McDonald's anywhere, leaving Váci utterly dependent on tourists for its livelihood and bustle. 2002, Charles Hebbert, Dan Richardson, The Rough Guide to Budapest, 2nd edition, London: Rough Guides, →ISBN, page 73:
  3. (endearing) A darling (a term of endearment).
    • But, Babe, you don't have to meet 'em if you don't want to. 1916 March 11, Charles E. Van Loan, “His Folks”, in Saturday Evening Post:
    • Hey, babe, how's about you and me getting together?
    • But they don't know that your sweet loving, babe Was here when all my friends were gone 1968 December 8, Henry Cosby, Sylvia Moy, Stevie Wonder, “I’d Be a Fool Right Now”, in For Once in My Life, performed by Stevie Wonder, Tamla Records:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
babes Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

out of the mouths of babes and sucklings · grandbabe · babish · babehood · booth babe · spokesbabe · babelet · cyberbabe · Blair's babes · babe in the woods · scare-babe · babe-in-a-cradle · out of the mouths of babes · babealicious · hog-babe · babelike · innocent as the babe unborn · babe in arms · Busby Babe · bikini babe · babeish · Cumberbabe · babeship · babe in the wood · pit babe · superbabe · babe magnet · innocent as a newborn babe

Synonyms

sweetheart (darling) · looker (attractive person) · child (infant) · dear (darling) · baby (infant) · doll · darling (darling) · love (darling) · infant (infant) · See: Thesaurus:beautiful woman · beautiful person · hottie (woman) · fox

Translations (12)

ga spéirbhean (attractive person) · ga staic (attractive person) · ga áille (attractive person) · ga bean bhreá (attractive person) · fi typykkä (attractive person) · ru красо́тка (attractive person) · pt gata (attractive person) · ga fear breá (attractive person) · de Maus (attractive person) · nl stuk (attractive person) · de Puppe (attractive person) · ru мила́шка (attractive person)