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• baa
  baa

  verb (used without object)

  to make the sound of a sheep; bleat.
• B.A.A.
  B.A.A.

  abbreviation

  Bachelor of Applied Arts.
• BAA
  BAA

  noun

  the main airports operator in the United Kingdom; until privatization in 1987, an abbreviation for British Airports Authority

baa

¹ American  

[ba, bah] / bæ, bɑ /

verb (used without object)

baaed, baaing

1. to make the sound of a sheep; bleat.

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noun

1. the bleating cry of a sheep.

B.A.A. ² American  

abbreviation

1. Bachelor of Applied Arts.

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baa ¹ British  

/ bɑː /

verb

1. (intr) to make the cry of a sheep; bleat

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noun

1. the cry made by sheep

BAA ² British  

noun

1. the main airports operator in the United Kingdom; until privatization in 1987, an abbreviation for British Airports Authority

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Etymology

Origin of baa

First recorded in 1580–90; imitative

Explanation

Use the word baa to describe the sound a sheep makes. A lamb might baa for its mother if it finds itself alone. Every language has words that mimic the cries and noises animals make, and in English sheep and goats baa. In Dutch, sheep say bè bè, and in Japanese they say meh meh. The imitative word baa, first recorded in the late 1500s, can be either a noun or a verb, depending how you use it. Baa makes a famous appearance in the well-known children's song "Baa baa Black Sheep."

Example Sentences

Like amateur detectives, we learn alongside them as they click around pages about Sumerian devils, Catholic saints and the origin of the nursery rhymes “London Bridge” and “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

Issuing a "full apology", a Baa Bar spokeswoman said the bar did not "condone such behaviour".

From BBC • May 28, 2022

The plane not only survived the war, it had been featured in “Baa Baa Blacksheep,” a TV series that aired in the late 1970s about a group of Marine fighter pilots during World War II.

From Washington Times • Oct. 14, 2016

The Bank of America Merrill Lynch High Yield Master II Index—a benchmark for high-yield, or junk, bonds rated below triple-B by Standard & Poor's and below Baa by Moody's—has returned 12.4% this year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 6, 2012

She quoted to him from Rumi; she sang what she knew of "Mary Had a Little Lamb," mixing it up with "Baa Baa, Black Sheep."

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez