baba

[ bah-buh; French ba-ba ]

noun,plural ba·bas

[bah-buhz; French ba-ba]. /ˈbɑ bəz; French baˈba/.

a spongelike cake leavened with yeast and often containing raisins, baked in a small mold and then usually soaked with a rum syrup.
Also Baba . (especially in Slavic or Eastern European cultures) an elderly woman or grandmother: In our house lived my parents, my baba—God rest her soul—my three siblings, and me.

Origin of baba

First recorded in 1820–30; from French, from Polish: literally, “old woman, peasant woman,” a nursery term of imitative origin (cf. babushka, mama ); the cake was introduced into France by the court of the exiled Polish king Stanislaus I

Words Nearby baba

Other definitions for baba (2 of 2)

baba²

or Ba·ba

[ bah-buh, bah-bah ]

nounIndian English.

father (also used as a polite term of address for any older man): That's the second lesson my Baba taught me growing up—that consistent hard work is very important and always pays off.
a male spiritual leader (also used as a title with the leader’s name): I devoured hundreds of religious books, including those by many Hindu babas and sadhus.She is a devout follower of Sai Baba, a spiritual leader known for his teachings of love, compassion, and selflessness.

a baby or young child.

Origin of baba

First recorded in 1765–75; from Hindi, Urdu bābā “father, male elder,” a nursery term of imitative origin; cf. dad¹, papa

Compare mata.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use baba in a sentence

“Maidan is distinctly separate from the current government,” says baba, a rail-thin man with a long beard who looks like a monk.
Ukraine’s Vigilante Peacemakers | James Kirchick | May 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
“There is no real chain of command in the army,” baba tells me.
Ukraine’s Vigilante Peacemakers | James Kirchick | May 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
“So-called state leaders are not interested in the state,” baba says.
Ukraine’s Vigilante Peacemakers | James Kirchick | May 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
She won’t eat, and every night she cries out in her dreams: ‘baba jan (father), baba jan, protect me.
Afghanistan’s Rape Crisis: Villagers Fear U.S.-Backed Militias | Sami Yousafzai, Ron Moreau | May 22, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
The trilogy follows Kate and baba, two lasses from the Shannon bogs, from convent school to the bright lights of London.
The 12 Best Irish Novels for St. Patrick’s Day | Allen Barra | March 17, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST

In fact, except for Ramona's help, it would have been a question whether even Alessandro could have made baba work in harness.
Ramona | Helen Hunt Jackson
Going back we had some long range shots with the 15-inch guns at batteries in rear of Achi baba.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian Hamilton
The shells came from Asia and Achi baba:—in a fiery shower, they fell upon the lines of our front trenches.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian Hamilton
We have men enough, and good men too, but we are short of pebbles for Goliath of Achi baba.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian Hamilton
The upshot of the whole affair is that the enemy still hold a strong line of trenches between us and Achi baba.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian Hamilton

British Dictionary definitions for baba

baba

/ (ˈbɑːbɑː, French baba) /

noun

a small cake of leavened dough, sometimes mixed with currants and usually soaked in rum (rum baba)

Origin of baba

C19: from French, from Polish, literally: old woman

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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