name
Meaning 1
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
babu
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/ˈbɑːbuː/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: B AA0 B UW1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A Hindu title of respect, equivalent to Mr., usually appended to the surname of a Hindu man.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Hinglish, India, North
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
Originally, a Hindu gentleman employed to work as a clerk for the colonial administration; now, a clerk or low-ranking government official.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: India, historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
an archetypical Indian bureaucrat, perceived as being corrupt, lazy or arrogant.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: India, derogatory
Qualifier: chiefly social media
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
used as a Hindi courtesy title; equivalent to English `Mr'
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: baboo
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: man, adult male
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Hindi बाबू (bābū), from Proto-New Indo-Aryan *बाब्ब (bābba), imitative of baby talk.