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babbling

 - 4 dictionary results
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bab⋅bling

  [bab-ling]
Use babbling in a Sentence
–noun
1. foolish or meaningless chatter; prattle: the constant babbling of idle gossips.
2. the random production of meaningless vocal sounds characteristic of infants after about the sixth week.
–adjective
3. chattering or prattling aimlessly.
Origin:
1200–50; ME; see babble, -ing 1 , -ing 2

Related forms:
bab⋅bling⋅ly, adverb
Babbles
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Babbling Baby Sounds
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bab⋅ble

  [bab-uhl] verb, -bled, -bling, noun
–verb (used without object)
1. to utter sounds or words imperfectly, indistinctly, or without meaning.
2. to talk idly, irrationally, excessively, or foolishly; chatter or prattle.
3. to make a continuous, murmuring sound.
–verb (used with object)
4. to utter in an incoherent, foolish, or meaningless fashion.
5. to reveal foolishly or thoughtlessly: to babble a secret.
–noun
6. inarticulate or imperfect speech.
7. foolish, meaningless, or incoherent speech; prattle.
8. a murmuring sound or a confusion of sounds.
9. babbling (def. 2).
10. Telecommunications. a confused mixture of extraneous sounds in a circuit, resulting from cross talk from other channels. Compare cross talk (def. 1).
Origin:
1200–50; ME babelen; c. ON babbla, D babbelen, G pappelen

Synonyms:
2. chitchat, gabble, drivel, blather. 3. murmur, gurgle, burble.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To babbling
bab·ble   (bāb'əl)   
v.   bab·bled, bab·bling, bab·bles

v.   intr.

  1. To utter a meaningless confusion of words or sounds: Babies babble before they can talk.

  2. To talk foolishly or idly; chatter: "In 1977 [he] was thought of as crazy because he was babbling about supply side" (Newt Gingrich).

  3. To make a continuous low, murmuring sound, as flowing water.

v.   tr.

  1. To utter rapidly and indistinctly.

  2. To blurt out impulsively; disclose without careful consideration.

n.  

  1. Inarticulate or meaningless talk or sounds.

  2. Idle or foolish talk; chatter.

  3. A continuous low, murmuring sound, as of flowing water.


[Middle English babelen.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

babble 
1230, babeln "to prattle," akin to other Western European words for stammering and prattling (cf. Swed. babbla, Fr. babiller) attested from the same era, some of which were probably borrowed, but etymologists cannot now determine which were original. Probably imitative of baby-talk, in any case (cf. L. babulus, Gk. barbaros). "No direct connexion with Babel can be traced; though association with that may have affected the senses" [OED]. Meaning "to repeat oneself incoherently, speak foolishly" is attested from c.1418.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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