babu

or ba·boo

[ bah-boo ]

/ ˈbɑ bu /

(in India, especially under British rule)

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.

Nearby words

babracot, babruysk, babs, babson, babson, roger ward, babu, babul, babur, babushka, babuyan islands, baby

Origin of babu

First recorded in 1875–80, babu is from the Hindi word bābū

Usage note

The term babu English refers to florid, overly polite, and unidiomatic English regarded as characteristic of native Indians who have limited proficiency in English.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for babu

On the other hand, he would not press drink upon a Babu were he never so friendly, nor would he invite him to meat.
Kim|Rudyard Kipling
The Babu advanced loftily; his back out of all keeping with his deferential speech, or his wink towards Kim.
Kim|Rudyard Kipling
The Babu explained to us that a little boy was pulling the bell rope from the roof.
From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan|Helena Pretrovna Blavatsky
Meeting Surendra Nath, and learning from him that a fight was imminent, he had pushed on with all speed, the Babu leading the way.
In Clive's Command|Herbert Strang

Those Sahibs, who cannot speak our talk, or the Babu, who for his own ends gave us money?
Kim|Rudyard Kipling

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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012