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babbling

 - 3 dictionary results
Babbling Baby Sounds
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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
Babbling Baby Sounds
Find out how to encourage & improve your baby’s early language skills
www.whattoexpect.com

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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