booby

¹ American  

[boo-bee] / ˈbu bi /

noun

Slang: Sometimes Vulgar.

plural

boobies

1. a female breast.

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booby ² American  

[boo-bee] / ˈbu bi /

noun

plural

boobies

1. a stupid person; dunce.

2. a gannet of the genus Sula, having a bright bill, bright feet, or both: some are endangered.

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booby British  

/ ˈbuːbɪ /

noun

1. an ignorant or foolish person

2. the losing player in a game

3. any of several tropical marine birds of the genus Sula : family Sulidae , order Pelecaniformes (pelicans, cormorants, etc). They have a straight stout bill and the plumage is white with darker markings Compare gannet

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Other Word Forms

• boobyish adjective

Etymology

Origin of booby¹

1930–35, probably variant of earlier bubby

Origin of booby¹

1590–1600; earlier pooby, apparently blend of poop to befool (now obsolete) and baby; booby ¹ ( def. 2 ) perhaps by association with Spanish bobo < Latin balbus stuttering

Example Sentences

The scene from 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark shows Indiana Jones - played by Harrison Ford - outrunning a giant boulder triggered by a booby trap, before leaping to safety.

From BBC

According to police, often the sites targeted are remote, treacherous even, and reminiscent of an Indiana Jones expedition - minus the booby traps.

From BBC

The best sequence in the whole film is their encounter with two posh suburbanites who simply can’t imagine they’re in danger, bounding right up to them like the Galapagos Islands’ blue-footed boobies.

From Los Angeles Times

According to the IDF, troops were searching buildings for Hamas using a dog - these animals are regularly used to hunt for fighters, booby traps, explosives and weapons.

From BBC

When I asked a senior White House official if they could speak to whether or not similar booby traps were contained in American communication devices I was rebuked; “I can’t speak to that.”

From Salon