boba
Americannoun
-
Also boba tea bubble tea.
-
(often used with a plural verb) large, round pearls of tapioca, usually boiled in a sweetened syrup and served in bubble tea.
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A good example is putting boba on an energy drink.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026
Bopomofo is no stranger to competing in dense markets: Its original location is San Gabriel, where there are boba and tea shops on every corner.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 24, 2026
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
On the agenda are an intense morning workout, dinner with loved ones at a Filipino restaurant that reminds him of home, and a cup of boba at the park.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2025
Sheryl, Gracie, and I sit at our favorite corner boba tea shop.
From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
