babu
[ bah-boo ]
/ ˈbɑ bu /
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noun
a Hindu title of address equivalent to Sir, Mr., or Esquire.
a Hindu gentleman.
a native Indian clerk who can write English.
Usually Disparaging. any native Indian having only a limited knowledge of English.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”
Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.
Question 1 of 7
Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?
Also ba·boo .
Origin of babu
First recorded in 1875–80, babu is from the Hindi word bābū
usage note for babu
The term babu English refers to florid, overly polite, and unidiomatic English regarded as characteristic of native Indians who have limited proficiency in English.
Words nearby babu
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for babu
British Dictionary definitions for babu
babu
/ (ˈbɑːbuː) /
noun
(in India) a title or form of address more or less equivalent to Mr, placed before a person's full name or after his first name
Word Origin for babu
Hindi, literally: father
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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