bambino
noun, plural bam·bi·nos, Italian, bam·bi·ni [bahm-bee-nee] /bɑmˈbi ni/.
Origin of bambino
Words nearby bambino
VOCAB BUILDER
What does bambino mean?
Bambino is the Italian word for a “male child or baby.” It can also be used as a nickname or term of endearment for a man more generally.
Where does bambino come from?
Bambino means “little child” or “baby” in Italian. It is used to refer to boys, with bambina its female counterpart. Bambinos or bambini can refer to a group of children or babies.
Fun facts: the Italian bambino is a diminutive form of bambo, meaning “silly,” and bimbo comes from bambino. It’s first recorded in English in the 1760s, when it especially referred to the Christ Child, or Baby Jesus.
Bambino was popularized in the U.S. thanks to George Herman Ruth, Jr., better known as Babe Ruth, the baseball player often considered the greatest of all time. While he wasn’t Italian himself, Babe Ruth played in New York in the 1920–30s, home to many Italian immigrants at the time. They nicknamed him The Great Bambino, bambino calling up babe. The Boston Red Sox were also hexed with The Curse of the Bambino after Ruth was sold by the team in 1919–20. Fans jokingly blamed the Red Sox 86-year World Series drought on the curse.
How is bambino used in real life?
Bambino is used when talking about male children and babies, especially by Italians and people of Italian heritage in places like New York City.
Finally done with my bambino’s portrait🕺🏻🤸🏼♂️ pic.twitter.com/TIw7juZOvT
— M.O.A EP (@djvitoto) May 8, 2018
Just left the hospital — both myself & 8 yr old tested for flu & my bambino also has pneumonia. Send healing vibes plzzzz ✌
— BossLadyRae (@BossLadyRaeRae) December 18, 2017
English speakers may also use bambino as a term of endearment for a male friend …
You played pretty alright my bambino
— Rosendo Fuentes (@Send0o) October 10, 2018
Six Flags with my bambino. 🤕❤️ pic.twitter.com/ueHnWEev38
— kevin (@kevinalvarez100) April 26, 2017
It can also work as a pet name for a significant other, similar to baby.
More examples of bambino:
“The girls in the neighborhood would say ‘Sonny Pacino, the lover bambino.’ The boys would say, ‘Sonny Pacino, the bastard bambino.”
—Ken Lipper quoted by Yahoo! Entertainment, September 2014
Note
This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.