Babble

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: bab=ble

CIDE DICTIONARY

Babble, v. i. [Cf. LG. babbeln, D. babbelen, G. bappeln, bappern, F. babiller, It. babbolare; prob. orig., to keep saying ba, imitative of a child learning to talk.].

•  To utter words indistinctly or unintelligibly; to utter inarticulate sounds; as a child babbles.  [1913 Webster]
•  To talk incoherently; to utter unmeaning words.  [1913 Webster]
•  To talk much; to chatter; to prate.  [1913 Webster]
•  To make a continuous murmuring noise, as shallow water running over stones.  [1913 Webster]

  " Hounds are said to babble, or to be babbling, when they are too noisy after having found a good scent."  [1913 Webster]

  "In every babbling brook he finds a friend."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To prate; prattle; chatter; gossip.

Babble, v. t. 

•  To utter in an indistinct or incoherent way; to repeat, as words, in a childish way without understanding.  [1913 Webster]

  "These [words] he used to babble in all companies."  [1913 Webster]
•  To disclose by too free talk, as a secret.  [1913 Webster]

Babble, n. 

•  Idle talk; senseless prattle; gabble; twaddle.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]
•  Inarticulate speech; constant or confused murmur.  [1913 Webster]

  "The babble of our young children."  [1913 Webster]

  "The babble of the stream."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Babble, v. & n.
--v.
1 intr. a talk in an inarticulate or incoherent manner. b chatter excessively or irrelevantly. c (of a stream etc.) murmur, trickle.
2 tr. repeat foolishly; divulge through chatter.
--n.
1 a incoherent speech. b foolish, idle, or childish talk.
2 the murmur of voices, water, etc.
3 Telephony background disturbance caused by interference from conversations on other lines.

Derivative

babblement n.

Etymology

ME f. MLG babbelen, or imit.

THESAURUS

Babble

Aesopian language, Babel, Greek, absurdity, amphigory, argot, babblement, baffle, balderdash, bavardage, be Greek to, be beyond one, be indiscreet, be insane, be too deep, be unguarded, beat one, betray, betray a confidence, bibble-babble, blab, blabber, blah-blah, blather, blether, blethers, blurt, blurt out, bombast, bubble, bull, bullshit, burble, cackle, cant, caquet, caqueterie, chat, chatter, chattering, chitchat, chitter-chatter, cipher, clack, claptrap, clatter, code, cryptogram, disclose, dither, divulge, dote, double Dutch, double-talk, drivel, drool, escape one, fiddle-faddle, fiddledeedee, flummery, folderol, fudge, fustian, gab, gabble, galimatias, gammon, garble, gas, gibber, gibberish, gibble-gabble, gift of tongues, give away, glossolalia, go on, gobbledygook, gossip, guff, guggle, gurgle, gush, have a demon, haver, hocus-pocus, hot air, hubbub, humbug, idle talk, inform, inform on, jabber, jabberwocky, jargon, jaw, jumble, lap, leak, let drop, let fall, let slip, lose one, mere talk, mumbo jumbo, murmur, narrishkeit, natter, need explanation, niaiserie, noise, nonsense, nonsense talk, not make sense, not penetrate, pack of nonsense, palaver, pass comprehension, patter, peach, perplex, piffle, plash, pour forth, prate, prating, prattle, prittle-prattle, purl, rabbit, rage, ramble, ramble on, rant, rat, rattle, rattle on, rave, reel off, repeat, reveal, reveal a secret, riddle, rigamarole, rigmarole, ripple, rodomontade, rubbish, run amok, run mad, run on, scramble, secret language, sing, skimble-skamble, slang, slaver, slobber, slosh, speak in tongues, spill, spill the beans, splash, spout, spout off, squeal, stool, stuff and nonsense, stultiloquence, swash, swish, talk, talk away, talk double Dutch, talk nonsense, talk on, talkee-talkee, tattle, tattle on, tell, tell on, tell secrets, tell tales, tittle-tattle, trash, trill, trumpery, twaddle, twattle, twiddle-twaddle, vapor, vaporing, waffle, waffling, wander, wash, yak, yakkety-yak, yammer, yap

ROGET THESAURUS

Babble

Loquacity

VB be loquacious, talk glibly, pour forth, patter, prate, palaver, prose, chatter, prattle, clack, jabber, jaw, blather, blatter, blether, rattle, rattle on, twaddle, twattle, babble, gabble, outtalk, talk oneself out of breath, talk oneself hoarse, expatiate, gossip, din in the ears, talk at random, talk nonsense, be hoarse with talking.

Conversation

N conversation, interlocution, collocution, colloquy, converse, confabulation, talk, discourse, verbal intercourse, oral communication, commerce, dialogue, duologue, trialogue, causerie, chat, chitchat, small talk, table talk, teatable talk, town talk, village talk, idle talk, tattle, gossip, tittle-tattle, babble, babblement, tripotage, cackle, prittle-prattle, cancan, on dit, talk of the town, talk of the village, conference, parley, interview, audience, pourparler, tete-a-tete, reception, conversazione, congress, powwow, hall of audience, durbar, palaver, debate, logomachy, war of words, gossip, tattler, Paul Pry, tabby, chatterer, interlocutor, conversationist, dialogist, the feast of reason and the flow of soul, mollia tempora fandi, conversing, interlocutory, conversational, conversable, discursive, discoursive, chatty, colloquial, with thee conversing I forget all time.

River

VB flow, run, meander, gush, pour, spout, roll, jet, well, issue, drop, drip, dribble, plash, spirtle, trill, trickle, distill, percolate, stream, overflow, inundate, deluge, flow over, splash, swash, guggle, murmur, babble, bubble, purl, gurgle, sputter, spurt, spray, regurgitate, ooze, flow out, rain hard, rain in torrents, rain cats and dogs, rain pitchforks, pour with rain, drizzle, spit, set in, mizzle, flow into, fall into, open into, drain into, discharge itself, disembogue, pour, pour out, shower down, irrigate, drench, spill, splash, stanch, dam, up, obstruct.

Faintness

VB whisper, breathe, murmur, purl, hum, gurgle, ripple, babble, flow, tinkle, mutter, susurrate, steal on the ear, melt in the air, float on the air.

Unmeaningness

N meaninglessness, unmeaningness, scrabble, empty sound, dead letter, vox et praeterea nihil, a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing, sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal, nonsense, utter nonsense, gibberish, jargon, jabber, mere words, hocus-pocus, fustian, rant, bombast, balderdash, palaver, flummery, verbiage, babble, baverdage, baragouin, platitude, niaiserie, inanity, flap-doodle, rigmarole, rodomontade, truism, nugae canorae, twaddle, twattle, fudge, trash, garbage, humbug, poppy-cock, stuff, stuff and nonsense, bosh, rubbish, moonshine, wish-wash, fiddle- faddle, absurdity, vagueness, boilerplate, clich_¬, unmeaning, meaningless, senseless, nonsensical, void of sense, inexpressive, unexpressive, vacant, not significant, insignificant, trashy, washy, trumpery, trivial, fiddle-faddle, twaddling, quibbling, unmeant, not expressed, tacit, inexpressible, undefinable, incommunicable.