What does "babbitt" mean?
Ellipsis of babbitt metal or Babbitt metal (“a soft white alloy of variable composition used in bearings to diminish friction”).
Babbitt
/ˈbæbɪt/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Ellipsis of babbitt metal or Babbitt metal (“a soft white alloy of variable composition used in bearings to diminish friction”).
- Grammar: babbitt is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: alloy, anal character, arriviste, babbitt alloy.
- Useful contrasts: hard alloy, hard metal, nonconformist.
- Usage evidence: Running while low on oil had galled the babbitt.
How to use "babbitt"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "babbitt" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
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- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "babbitt" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "babbitt" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
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3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 Ellipsis of babbitt metal or Babbitt metal (“a soft white alloy of variable composition used in bearings to diminish friction”). abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
"Running while low on oil had galled the babbitt."
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of Babbitt (“a person who subscribes complacently to materialistic middle-class ideals”). US, alt-of, dated
"One speaks of a babbitt habit, a babbitt era. Nothing is more true. America recognized itself in Babbitt, it demurred, but it also admired."
- 3 A person who subscribes complacently to materialistic middle-class ideals. US, dated
"A Babbitt met a Bromide on the avenue one day. They held a conversation in their own peculiar way."
- 4 Alternative letter-case form of babbitt (“a soft white alloy of variable composition (for example, nine parts of tin to one of copper, or fifty parts of tin to five of antimony and one of copper) used in bearings to diminish friction”). alt-of, countable, dated, uncountable
"Figure 2 represents a top plan of the "Babbitting" jig, placed in or upon a cast-iron frame, preparatory to the pouring or casting of the "Babbitt" or other soft metal on to or around its journals, to form journal bearings in said cast-iron frame."
- 5 an alloy of tin with some copper and antimony; a lining for bearings that reduces friction wordnet
Verb
- 1 To line (something) with babbitt metal to reduce friction. transitive
"The main bearings were babbitted and line-bored."
- 2 line with a Babbitt metal wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname. countable, uncountable
- 2 A city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Running while low on oil had galled the babbitt."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "babbitt"?
Common synonyms include: alloy, anal character, arriviste, babbitt alloy, babbitt metal, bearing alloy.
How do you use "babbitt" in a sentence?
Running while low on oil had galled the babbitt.
How do you pronounce "babbitt"?
Pronounced /ˈbæbɪt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
The noun is derived from Babbitt, the surname of the American inventor Isaac Babbitt (1799–1862) who invented the alloy. The verb is derived from the noun.
Etymology 2
From Babbitt, the surname of George Babbitt, the title character of the novel Babbitt (1922) by the American author Sinclair Lewis (1885–1951). The word was also popularized by the George (1898–1937) and Ira Gershwin (1896–1983) song “The Babbitt and the Bromide”, first featured in the 1927 musical Funny Face and later in the film Ziegfeld Follies (1945).
Etymology 3
From the surname of George Babbitt, the title character of the novel Babbitt (1922) by the American author Sinclair Lewis (1885–1951). The word was also popularized by the George (1898–1937) and Ira Gershwin (1896–1983) song “The Babbitt and the Bromide”, first featured in the 1927 musical Funny Face and later in the film Ziegfeld Follies (1945).
Etymology 4
See babbitt.