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⇱ babbitt - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

babbitt

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations'Babbitt', 'babbitt': /ˈbæbɪt/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(bab′it)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
bab•bitt  (bab′it),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. MetallurgySee Babbitt metal. 
  2. Metallurgya bearing or lining of Babbitt metal.

adj. 
  1. Metallurgypertaining to or made of Babbitt metal.

v.t. 
  1. Metallurgyto line, face, or furnish with Babbitt metal.
  • short for Babbitt metal 1900–05

Bab•bitt  (bab′it),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Biographical Irving, 1865–1933, U.S. educator and critic.
  2. Biographical Milton Byron, born 1916, U.S. composer.
  3. (italics) a novel (1922) by Sinclair Lewis.
  4. (often l.c.) a self-satisfied person who conforms readily to conventional, middle-class ideas and ideals, esp. of business and material success;
    Philistine: from the main character in the novel by Sinclair Lewis.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
babbitt /ˈbæbɪt/ vb
  1. (transitive) to line (a bearing) or face (a surface) with Babbitt metal or a similar soft alloy
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Babbitt /ˈbæbɪt/ n
  1. US derogatory a narrow-minded and complacent member of the middle class
Etymology: 20th Century: after George Babbitt, central character in the novel Babbitt (1922) by Sinclair LewisˈBabbittry, ˈbabbitry n
'babbitt' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
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