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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

blab en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /blæb/

Etymology

From Middle English blabben (“to talk foolishly”), perhaps from Middle English blabbe (“idle talk; talebearer”). Compare Middle English blaberen (“to blabber, babble”), Middle High German blabezen (“to stammer, babble”).

Meanings

  1. (countable) One who blabs; a babbler; a telltale; a gossip or gossiper.
    • "You'd better have shoved your grey snout in a hornets' nest, Badger, than suggest that I am the blab," said Nikabrik. 1951, C. S. Lewis, Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia:
  2. (uncountable) Gossip; prattle.
    • Audie never liked him because he was further in with old Craig than he was, bragging and blowing about his work and the things he could do, while Audie sat quiet as a mouse listening to his blab. 1976, David Toulmin, Blown Seed, page 148:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
blabs Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

blab school · blab-off switch

Relateds

blubber · blabber · blabby · blabbermouth

Synonyms

gossiper · gossip

blab en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /blæb/

Etymology

From Middle English blabben (“to talk foolishly”), perhaps from Middle English blabbe (“idle talk; talebearer”). Compare Middle English blaberen (“to blabber, babble”), Middle High German blabezen (“to stammer, babble”).

Meanings

  1. (ambitransitive) To tell tales; to gossip without reserve or discretion.
    • blab about something
    • And yonder a vile physician blabbing / The case of his patient. 1855, Alfred Tennyson, “(please specify the page)”, in Maud, and Other Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:
    • 1998, "Helga Blabs It All", TV episode in season 3 of Hey Arnold!, animated television series created by Craig Bartlett Helga Blabs It All.
  2. to speak carelessly or excessively

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
blabbed Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
blabbed Tense=Past lexicographic
blabbing Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
blabs Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic

Deriveds

blabmouth · blabtale · blab out · blabtongue

Translations (11)

cs vykecat (tell tales) · ca xafardejar (tell tales) · es cotillear (tell tales) · cs tlachat (tell tales) · az quşlamaq (tell tales) · bg раздрънквам (tell tales) · cs žvanit (tell tales) · cs vyžvanit (tell tales) · ru трепаться (tell tales) · cs vyzvonit (tell tales) · fi lörpötellä (tell tales)