Babble Definition

băbəl

babbled, babbles, babbling

verb

babbled, babbles, babbling

To utter a meaningless confusion of words or sounds.

Babies babble before they can talk.

American Heritage

To make incoherent sounds, as a baby does; prattle.

Webster's New World

To say indistinctly or incoherently.

Webster's New World

To talk foolishly or idly; chatter.

American Heritage

To talk foolishly or too much; blab.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

noun

babbles

Inarticulate or meaningless talk or sounds.

American Heritage

Confused, incoherent talk or vocal sounds.

Webster's New World

Idle or foolish talk; chatter.

American Heritage

Foolish or meaningless talk.

Webster's New World

A continuous low, murmuring sound, as of flowing water.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

affix

Jargon or wordy and confusing language related to or characteristic of a (specified) field, group, etc.

Technobabble.

Webster's New World

Origin of Babble

From Middle English babelen, from Old English *bæblian, also wæflian (“to talk foolishly”), from Proto-Germanic *babalōną (“to chatter”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰa-bʰa-, *baba- (“to talk vaguely, mumble”). Cognate with Old Frisian babbelje (“to babble”), Old Norse babbla (“to babble”) (Swedish babbla), Middle Low German babbelen (“to babble”), Dutch babbelen (“to babble”), German pappeln and babbeln (“to babble”).

From Wiktionary
Middle English babelen

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Middle English babelen

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition