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babbitt

1

[ bab-it ]

noun

  1. a bearing or lining of Babbitt metal.


adjective

  1. pertaining to or made of Babbitt metal.

verb (used with object)

  1. to line, face, or furnish with Babbitt metal.

Babbitt

2

[ bab-it ]

noun

  1. Irving, 1865–1933, U.S. educator and critic.
  2. Milton Byron, 1916–2011, U.S. composer.
  3. (italics) a novel (1922) by Sinclair Lewis.
  4. (often lowercase) a self-satisfied person who conforms readily to conventional, middle-class ideas and ideals, especially of business and material success; Philistine: from the main character in the novel by Sinclair Lewis.

Babbitt

1

/ ˈbæbɪt /

noun

  1. derogatory.
    a narrow-minded and complacent member of the middle class
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


babbitt

2

/ ˈbæbɪt /

verb

  1. tr to line (a bearing) or face (a surface) with Babbitt metal or a similar soft alloy
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Babbitt

  1. (1922) A novel by Sinclair Lewis . The title character , an American real estate agent in a small city, is portrayed as a crass, loud, overoptimistic boor who thinks only about money and speaks in clichés, such as “You've gotta have pep, by golly!”


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Notes

By extension, a “Babbitt” is a narrow-minded, materialistic businessman.
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Derived Forms

  • ˈBabbittry, noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of babbitt1

First recorded in 1900–05; short for Babbitt metal
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Word History and Origins

Origin of babbitt1

C20: after George Babbitt , central character in the novel Babbitt (1922) by Sinclair Lewis
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Example Sentences

Roger Witthoeft, Babbitt’s brother, said he was not happy that prosecutors decided not to charge the officer.

Babbitt, a native Californian and Air Force veteran, was among a group of rioters inside the Capitol building trying to breach a barricaded door leading to the Speaker’s Lobby, which would have opened access to the House of Representatives chamber.

Babbitt was a 14-year veteran who served four tours with the Air Force .

Now many of these groups are pointing to Babbitt’s death as cause for further action.

From Time

Timothy McEntee wrote in text messages that Babbitt, of San Diego, was deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq in the Air Force, before other deployments with the National Guard to Kuwait and Qatar.

At one point, Powers invokes Milton Babbitt's 1958 essay "Who Cares If You Listen?"

The state turned blue for Bill Clinton and elected two prominent Democratic governors, Bruce Babbitt and Janet Napolitano.

Though Babbitt turns ninety this year, Georgie Babbitt still lives and breathes and harrumphs.

What, Babbitt wonders in another quiet moment, is it all about?

The most startling thing about Babbitt today is not its satire but the haunting, if brief, moments of introspection.

It is such accidents as these that are prevented by the use of an easily-melted babbitt metal.

Consequently the babbitt is placed in the bearing box in the form of a thin lining within which the shaft revolves.

These shims provide the method of taking up the wear in the babbitt that will eventually result.

To babbitt any kind of a box, first chip out all of the old babbitt and clean the shaft and box thoroughly with benzine.

When the babbitt has cooled, break the box apart by driving a cold chisel between the two halves.

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BabbageBabbitt metal