baboon
English
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baboon
- /bəˈbuːn/ UK
- /ˌbæˈbuːn/ US
Rhymes with -uːn
Where it comes from
Inherited from Middle English babewin, baboin, from Old French babouin, from baboue (“grimace; muzzle”) (whence French babouin), from an imitative origin.
According to Oxford English Dictionary, it was an imitative base *bab-, which is in turn from the (reduplicated) syllable ba, characteristic of early infantile vocalization (and expressive of the movement of the lips in speech).
French babouin was also borrowed into other European languages. Confer Vulgar Latin babouinus ("a grimace"), Vulgar Latin babuinare ("to paint marginal figures in manuscripts"), Italian babbuino, babuino (“baboon”), Dutch baviaan (“baboon”), German Pavian (“baboon”)
For the sense of infant imitation, see English babble (“to blather”), English babe (“darling”), English baby (“infant”).
noun baboons · babian · babion
- An Old World monkey of the genus Papio, having dog-like muzzles and large canine teeth, cheek pouches, a short tail, and naked callosities on the buttocks. Mix swallowed the comment he wanted to make, that the council hall stank like a congress of baboons. But he was in no position to insult his host, nor should he. The man was only expressing the attitude of his time.
- A foolish, stupid or incompetent person.
- A black person. The 50-year-old steel worker said he had meant to type Sawyers should win the "buffoon d'Or". He claimed a misspelling, of "bafoon", had autocorrected on his device to "baboon".
Translations
Every language
noun primate
| Español | babón, babuino |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 비비 bibi |
| 日本語 | 狒々 hihi, ヒヒ hihi |
| 中文 | 狒狒 fèifèi |
| हिन्दी | बबून babūn |
| Kiswahili | nyani |
| Português | babão, babuíno |
| Français | babouin |
| Deutsch | Pavian |
| Italiano | babbuino |
| Ελληνικά | μπαμπουίνος bampouínos |
| Română | babuin |
| Русский | бабуи́н babuín, павиа́н pavián |
| Tiếng Việt | khỉ đầu chó |
| العربية | رُبَّاح rubbāḥ, بَابُون bābūn |
Talk about this word "baboon." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/baboon. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. baboon. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/baboon "baboon." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/baboon.Cite this
@misc{baboon_2026,
title = {baboon},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/baboon},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
