babbitt
bab·bitt/ˈbæbɪt/noun, verb
babbitt is spelled B-A-B-B-I-T-T: 7 letters and 2 syllables (bab·bitt). It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 47,633rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, babbitt means “Ellipsis of babbitt metal or Babbitt metal (“a soft white alloy of variable composition used in bearings to diminish friction”)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of babbitt is babbitts.
How many letters and syllables are in babbitt?
| Letters | 7: B-A-B-B-I-T-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: bab·bitt |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 47,633rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is babbitt?
Babbitt appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 47,633rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce babbitt?
- US /ˈbæbɪt/
- /ˈbæbət/
Babbitt has 2 syllables, split bab·bitt in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-I_learned_some_phrases-babbitt.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of babbitt
- babbitts plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- babbit
- babbitting participle, present
- babbitted participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does babbitt mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Ellipsis of babbitt metal or Babbitt metal (“a soft white alloy of variable composition used in bearings to diminish friction”).
Running while low on oil had galled the babbitt.
- 2
USdatedAlternative letter-case form of Babbitt (“a person who subscribes complacently to materialistic middle-class ideals”).
… a "babbitt" is a person full of self-confident bluster who is nevertheless a narrowminded philistine and a hypocrite.]
verb
- 1
To line (something) with babbitt metal to reduce friction.
The main bearings were babbitted and line-bored.
noun
- 1
USdatedA person who subscribes complacently to materialistic middle-class ideals.
A Babbitt met a Bromide on the avenue one day. They held a conversation in their own peculiar way.
- 2
datedAlternative 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”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does babbitt come from?
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).