boba

[ boh-buh ]

noun

1. Also bo·ba tea []. bubble tea ( def ).
2. (often used with a plural verb) large, round pearls of tapioca, usually boiled in a sweetened syrup and served in bubble tea.

Word History and Origins

Origin of boba¹

First recorded in 1995–2000; said to be from a dialectal Chinese source akin to Cantonese bo baa or Mandarin bōbà “tapioca pearl,” colloquially, “big-breasted woman,” equivalent to Cantonese bo “ball, breast” (from English ball ¹( def ) ) + baa “overlord, tyrant”

Example Sentences

His daily weekday routine consisted of going to school usually followed by a trip to grab boba at Quickly’s in Chinatown or a random spot in Koreatown.

From Los Angeles Times

A Meccano Luke Skywalker model was estimated to fetch £2,000 but sold for £7,595, and other big sellers included a Meccano Boba Fett at £8,330.

From BBC

A few days later, we met up at Teaspoon, one of the many boba spots on Sawtelle Boulevard.

From Los Angeles Times

Liu pushed back against the entrepreneurs, accusing them of appropriating the Taiwanese drink, known as boba or bubble tea, which has became popular around the world.

From BBC

Mr Fiset responded that their "best partner" was in Taiwan - "they make all the recipes, all the boba".

From BBC