babbitt

[ bab-it ]
/ ˈbæb ɪt /

noun

Babbitt metal.
a bearing or lining of Babbitt metal.

adjective

pertaining to or made of Babbitt metal.

verb (used with object)

to line, face, or furnish with Babbitt metal.

Origin of babbitt

First recorded in 1900–05; short for Babbitt metal

Words nearby babbitt

babashoff, babassu, babassu oil, babbage, babbitry, babbitt, babbitt metal, babbittry, babble, babbler, babbling

Definition for babbitt (2 of 2)

Babbitt
[ bab-it ]
/ ˈbæb ɪt /

noun

Irving,1865–1933, U.S. educator and critic.
Milton Byron,1916–2011, U.S. composer.
(italics) a novel (1922) by Sinclair Lewis.
(often lowercase) a self-satisfied person who conforms readily to conventional, middle-class ideas and ideals, especially of business and material success; Philistine: from the main character in the novel by Sinclair Lewis.

Example sentences from the Web for babbitt

British Dictionary definitions for babbitt (1 of 2)

babbitt
/ (ˈbæbɪt) /

verb

(tr) to line (a bearing) or face (a surface) with Babbitt metal or a similar soft alloy

British Dictionary definitions for babbitt (2 of 2)

Babbitt
/ (ˈbæbɪt) /

noun

US derogatory a narrow-minded and complacent member of the middle class

Derived forms of Babbitt

Babbittry, noun

Word Origin for Babbitt

C20: after George Babbitt, central character in the novel Babbitt (1922) by Sinclair Lewis

Cultural definitions for babbitt

Babbitt

(1922) A novel by Sinclair Lewis. The title character, an American real estate agent in a small city, is portrayed as a crass, loud, overoptimistic boor who thinks only about money and speaks in clichés, such as “You've gotta have pep, by golly!”

notes for Babbitt

By extension, a “Babbitt” is a narrow-minded, materialistic businessman.