boba

American  

[boh-buh] / ˈboʊ bə /

noun

1. Also boba tea bubble tea.

2. (often used with a plural verb) large, round pearls of tapioca, usually boiled in a sweetened syrup and served in bubble tea.

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Etymology

Origin of boba

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

Naoshi’s pieces usually center around a chic ingenue sporting food-focused fashion — think bonnets made of bonbons and boba tea skirts.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

A good example is putting boba on an energy drink.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

On Thursday evening, Mixue customers stood outside — the shop does not offer seating — eating soft serve and sipping on boba milk tea and the store’s signature grape drink with taro balls.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 24, 2026

Bopomofo is no stranger to competing in dense markets: Its original location is San Gabriel, where there are boba and tea shops on every corner.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 24, 2026

Natalie and Shannon had met in homeroom last year at the beginning of sixth grade and had immediately bonded over their shared love of boba tea, K-pop, and extreme weather shows.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz