babble

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

Confused, unintelligible talk, such as was used at the building the tower of Babel.

Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)

Where it’s used: Origin British & Irish English
Sources & notes

Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “babble” mean?

Confused, unintelligible talk, such as was used at the building the tower of Babel.

Is “babble” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.