boba

American  

[boh-buh] / ˈboʊ bə /

noun

1. Also boba tea bubble tea.

2. (often used with a plural verb) large, round pearls of tapioca, usually boiled in a sweetened syrup and served in bubble tea.

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Etymology

Origin of boba

First recorded in 1995–2000; said to be from a dialectal Chinese source akin to Cantonese bo baa or Mandarin bōbà “tapioca pearl,” colloquially, “big-breasted woman,” equivalent to Cantonese bo “ball, breast” (from English ball ¹ ( def. ) ) + baa “overlord, tyrant”

Example Sentences

Naoshi’s pieces usually center around a chic ingenue sporting food-focused fashion — think bonnets made of bonbons and boba tea skirts.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

A good example is putting boba on an energy drink.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

Then it’s got a full coffee menu, and you can add boba to pretty much anything.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025

They went out for boba tea and at a sleepover at their grandmother’s, she looked through family albums and held a pillow with his photo printed on it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025

We lean our heads forward to sip our drinks, lines of boba balls marching up the straws.

From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio