Babble
WordNet
noun
(1) Gibberish resembling the sounds of a baby
verb
(2) Divulge confidential information or secrets; "Be careful--his secretary talks"
(3) To talk foolishly
"The two women babbled and crooned at the baby"
(4) Utter meaningless sounds, like a baby, or utter in an incoherent way
"The old man is only babbling--don't pay attention"
(5) Flow in an irregular current with a bubbling noise
"Babbling brooks"
WiktionaryText
Etymology
Confer Late German babbeln; babbelen; German bappeln, bappern; babiller; Italian babbolare; probable origin, to keep saying ba, imitative of a child learning to talk; confer tower of Babel.
Noun
- Idle talk; senseless prattle; gabble; twaddle.
- "This is mere moral babble." John Milton.
- Inarticulate speech, such as was used at the building the tower of Babel; constant or confused murmur.
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- The babble of our young children. - Darwin.
- The babble of the stream. - Alfred Tennyson.
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- A sound of or alike that which of flowing water.
Verb
- To utter words indistinctly or unintelligibly; to utter inarticulate sounds; as, a child babbles.
- To talk incoherently; to utter unmeaning words.
- To talk much; to chatter; to prate.
- To make a continuous murmuring noise, as shallow water running over stones.
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- In every babbling brook he finds a friend. - William Wordsworth.
- Hounds are said to babble, or to be babbling, when they are too noisy after having found a good scent.
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- To utter in an indistinct or incoherent way; to repeat, as words, in a childish way without understanding.
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- These words he used to babble in all companies. - John Arbuthnot.
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- To disclose by too free talk, as a secret.