Wiktionary

boob

See also: боов

English

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈbuːb/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -uːb

Etymology 1

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Clipped form of booby (“fool”). Appeared near the beginning of the twentieth century; more information at booby § Etymology 1.

Noun

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boob (plural boobs)

  1. (informal, derogatory, Canada, US) An idiot; a fool.
    • 1914, George Vere Hobart, Boobs, as Seen by John Henry, →OCLC, page 75:
      Not having an ear for music it annoys me to hear the boobs squeal.
    • 1990, “Look At All Those Idiots” (track 9), in The Simpsons Sing The Blues (1990)‎[1], performed by The Simpsons:
      [BURNS AND ENSEMBLE]: Look at all those idiots. Oh, look at all those boobs. An office full of morons. A factory full of fools. Is it any wonder that I'm singing, singing the blues!?
    • 2008 April 30, “Cher: I was crazy about Tom Cruise”, in Marie Claire‎[2]:
      He said he felt like such a boob in school and nobody talked to him.
  2. (informal, British) A mistake.
Derived terms
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Translations
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Verb

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boob (third-person singular simple present boobs, present participle boobing, simple past and past participle boobed)

  1. To behave stupidly; to act like a boob.
    • 1969, Colin Watson, The Flaxborough Chronicle, →OCLC, page 250:
      After three hits his cleverness ran out. He boobed.
  2. (informal, intransitive) To make a mistake.
    • 1969, “Alchemy”, in The Canadian Forum, volume 49, page 211:
      ...the younger generation will not altogether be grateful for the book in which they are contained — especially when he boobs in calling the Weavers a rock ensemble.
Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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Clipped form of booby (“breast”). Appeared from the 20th century; more information at booby § Etymology 2.

Noun

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boob (plural boobs)

  1. (colloquial, slang) A breast, especially that of an adult or adolescent female human.
    • 1935, James T. Farrell, Studs Lonigan; A Trilogy, →OCLC, Judgement Day:
      Tough luck. Too quick in covering to let them see her boobs.
    • 1974, Ernest Brawley, The Rap, page 256:
      Her boob had fallen out of her nightgown and now lay limp against the stained sheet.
    • 2013, Kim Haskan, Mommy Has a Boo Boo in Her Boob, book cover:
      Mommy Has a Boo Boo in Her Boob was written to help families who have been affected by breast cancer.
Synonyms
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Derived terms
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Translations
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Etymology 3

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Apparently shortened from booby-hatch.

Noun

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boob (plural boobs)

  1. (Australia, US) A prison; jail. [from 20th c.]
    • 1927, William Cooper, letter, in Heiss & Minter (eds.), Macquarie PEN Anthology of Aboriginal Literature, Allen & Unwin 2008, p. 26:
      Then he got or was brought back to Mongumber he was tired to a tree and was belted by the white officer in charge put into the boob that they have ther I think of cause we cant say for a certain was was brought out of the boob dead or nearly.
    • 1965, Mudrooroo, Wild Cat Falling, HarperCollins, published 2001, page 29:
      I begin to feel homesick for the easy drifting of boob. I guess the fact is I'm afraid of life, haven't got the guts to be a real criminal.

Anagrams

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French

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English boob.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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boob f (plural boobs)

  1. (slang, anglicism, chiefly in the plural) breast
    • 2014 October 30, Bertrand Ferrier, Le point de vue du panda: Le dico des mots sans dico - Humour, Max Milo, →ISBN:
      «  […] Ses premiers francs en poche, Nabilla avait foncé chez le chirurgien pour pimper ses boobs. »
      " […] With her first francs in her pocket, Nabilla had rushed to the surgeon to pimp her boobs."
    • 2019 February 6, Margot D. Bortoli, Projet Rebirth, BMR, →ISBN:
      Mes boobs ! je continue de m’époumoner en désignant mes seins. — Ils n’ont jamais vraiment disparu Grace... Je lui lance un regard torve et attrape mon sac et mes dossiers avant de courir vers la sortie.
      "My boobs!" I continue yelling, pointing to my breasts. "They never really disappeared, Grace..." I throw her a menacing look and grab my bag and files before running to the exit.
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