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

It blew up booby trapped pagers and walkie talkies it had deceived Hezbollah into buying, invaded south Lebanon and killed Hezbollah’s leader Sheikh Hasan Nasrallah, a man who had been a symbol of defiant resistance to Israel for decades.

From BBC

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

In the video an officer, his face blurred, points to booby traps and weapons and speaks to the camera: “Everything here is a cynical exploitation of the civilian population, inside a clinic, inside a civilian compound. We will pursue these terrorists and find them in every corner.”

From BBC

The state’s shores offer temperate-weather hiking with views of dramatic cliffs, crashing waves, pelagic birds such as the blue-footed booby and several species of sandpiper, and native wildflowers.

From Los Angeles Times

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