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

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

From Los Angeles Times

Star Wars' character Boba Fett's original blaster prop from The Empire Strikes Back is expected to fetch between £350,000 and £700,000 on Saturday.

From BBC

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

Kick off your adventure at Odd One Out, an award-winning boba tea shop, then take a quick walk to the Giant Robot store, which is often cited as the birthplace of Asian pop culture products.

From Los Angeles Times

Also featured in the auction is Star Wars character Boba Fett's original blaster prop from The Empire Strikes Back, which is expected to fetch between £350,000 and £700,000.

From BBC