babbitt

[ bab-it ]

/ ˈbæb ɪt /

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noun

Babbitt metal.

a bearing or lining of Babbitt metal.

adjective

pertaining to or made of Babbitt metal.

verb (used with object)

to line, face, or furnish with Babbitt metal.

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Origin of babbitt

First recorded in 1900–05; short for Babbitt metal

Words nearby babbitt

Babar, Babashoff, babassu, babassu oil, Babbage, babbitt, Babbitt metal, Babbittry, babble, babbler, babbling

Other definitions for babbitt (2 of 2)

Babbitt

[ bab-it ]

/ ˈbæb ɪt /

noun

Irving, 1865–1933, U.S. educator and critic.

Milton Byron, 1916–2011, U.S. composer.

(italics) a novel (1922) by Sinclair Lewis.

(often lowercase) a self-satisfied person who conforms readily to conventional, middle-class ideas and ideals, especially of business and material success; Philistine: from the main character in the novel by Sinclair Lewis.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use babbitt in a sentence

Roger Witthoeft, Babbitt’s brother, said he was not happy that prosecutors decided not to charge the officer.
U.S. Capitol Police officer cleared of wrongdoing in fatal shooting of Ashli Babbitt during Capitol attack|Keith L. Alexander, Justin Jouvenal, Spencer Hsu|April 15, 2021|Washington Post
Babbitt, a native Californian and Air Force veteran, was among a group of rioters inside the Capitol building trying to breach a barricaded door leading to the Speaker’s Lobby, which would have opened access to the House of Representatives chamber.
D.C. medical examiner releases cause of death for four people who died during Capitol riot|Peter Hermann, Steve Thompson|April 7, 2021|Washington Post
Babbitt was a 14-year veteran who served four tours with the Air Force .
GOP contender for Va. governor could escape censure by ‘clarifying’ remarks about U.S. Capitol rioters|Laura Vozzella|January 22, 2021|Washington Post
Now many of these groups are pointing to Babbitt’s death as cause for further action.
'Our First Martyr.' How Ashli Babbitt Is Being Turned Into a Far-Right Recruiting Tool|Vera Bergengruen|January 10, 2021|Time

Timothy McEntee wrote in text messages that Babbitt, of San Diego, was deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq in the Air Force, before other deployments with the National Guard to Kuwait and Qatar.
Woman dies after shooting in U.S. Capitol; D.C. National Guard activated after mob breaches building|Washington Post Staff|January 7, 2021|Washington Post
At one point, Powers invokes Milton Babbitt's 1958 essay "Who Cares If You Listen?"
The Bioterrorist Who Loved Mahler|Ron Hogan|January 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The state turned blue for Bill Clinton and elected two prominent Democratic governors, Bruce Babbitt and Janet Napolitano.
John McCain Heats Up November Battle for Arizona at Lunch for Romney|Terry Greene Sterling|April 21, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Though Babbitt turns ninety this year, Georgie Babbitt still lives and breathes and harrumphs.
American Dreams: 'Babbitt' by Sinclair Lewis|Nathaniel Rich|March 19, 2012|DAILY BEAST
What, Babbitt wonders in another quiet moment, is it all about?
American Dreams: 'Babbitt' by Sinclair Lewis|Nathaniel Rich|March 19, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The most startling thing about Babbitt today is not its satire but the haunting, if brief, moments of introspection.
American Dreams: 'Babbitt' by Sinclair Lewis|Nathaniel Rich|March 19, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It is such accidents as these that are prevented by the use of an easily-melted babbitt metal.
The Gasoline Motor|Harold Whiting Slauson
Consequently the babbitt is placed in the bearing box in the form of a thin lining within which the shaft revolves.
The Gasoline Motor|Harold Whiting Slauson
These shims provide the method of taking up the wear in the babbitt that will eventually result.
The Gasoline Motor|Harold Whiting Slauson
To babbitt any kind of a box, first chip out all of the old babbitt and clean the shaft and box thoroughly with benzine.
Farm Engines and How to Run Them|James H. Stephenson
When the babbitt has cooled, break the box apart by driving a cold chisel between the two halves.
Farm Engines and How to Run Them|James H. Stephenson

British Dictionary definitions for babbitt (1 of 2)

babbitt

/ (ˈbæbɪt) /

verb

(tr) to line (a bearing) or face (a surface) with Babbitt metal or a similar soft alloy

British Dictionary definitions for babbitt (2 of 2)

Babbitt

/ (ˈbæbɪt) /

noun

US derogatory a narrow-minded and complacent member of the middle class

Derived forms of Babbitt

Babbittry, noun

Word Origin for Babbitt

C20: after George Babbitt, central character in the novel Babbitt (1922) by Sinclair Lewis

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

Cultural definitions for babbitt

Babbitt

(1922) A novel by Sinclair Lewis. The title character, an American real estate agent in a small city, is portrayed as a crass, loud, overoptimistic boor who thinks only about money and speaks in clichés, such as “You've gotta have pep, by golly!”

notes for Babbitt

By extension, a “Babbitt” is a narrow-minded, materialistic businessman.