booby

¹

[ boo-bee ]

noun

, plural boo·bies.

1. a stupid person; dunce.
2. a gannet of the genus Sula, having a bright bill, bright feet, or both: some are endangered.

booby

²

[ boo-bee ]

noun

, Slang: Sometimes Vulgar.

, plural boob·ies.

1. a female breast.

booby

/ ˈbuːbɪ /

noun

1. an ignorant or foolish person
2. the losing player in a game
3. any of several tropical marine birds of the genus Sula : family Sulidae , order Pelecaniformes (pelicans, cormorants, etc). They have a straight stout bill and the plumage is white with darker markings Compare gannet

Other Words From

• booby·ish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of booby¹

1590–1600; earlier pooby, apparently blend of poop to befool (now obsolete) and baby; booby ¹( def 2 ) perhaps by association with Spanish bobo < Latin balbus stuttering

Origin of booby²

1930–35, Americanism; probably variant of earlier bubby

Word History and Origins

Origin of booby¹

C17: from Spanish bobo , from Latin balbus stammering

Example Sentences

The corpse however remained in situ due to suspected booby traps and instead, part of a finger was removed and sent to Israel for testing.

From BBC

Compared to the blocking booby traps that were once set at all levels of the field, one condensed layer of opponents on a kickoff return seems easy enough to navigate for Derius Davis.

From Los Angeles Times

According to the IDF, troops were searching buildings for Hamas using a dog - these animals are regularly used to hunt for fighters, booby traps, explosives and weapons.

From BBC

As Human Rights Watch and other groups noted, international humanitarian law forbids the use of booby traps, especially with objects that are commonly used by civilians.

From Los Angeles Times

When I asked a senior White House official if they could speak to whether or not similar booby traps were contained in American communication devices I was rebuked; “I can’t speak to that.”

From Salon