babbitt Definition
- 1a soft metal alloy used for bearings, especially in internal combustion engines
- 2a person or group that conforms unthinkingly to middle-class values and materialism
Using babbitt: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "babbitt" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The engine's babbitt bearings needed to be replaced.
Example
He was a babbitt who cared more about his car than his family.
Example
She found the babbitt lifestyle suffocating and unfulfilling.
babbitt Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for babbitt
Antonyms for babbitt
Phrases with babbitt
Example
The babbitt metal bearings were worn out and needed to be replaced.
babbitt (person)
a person who is conformist and materialistic, with conventional middle-class values
Example
He was a babbitt who always followed the latest trends and fashions.
babbitt (book)
a novel by Sinclair Lewis, published in 1922, which satirizes the conformity and materialism of American middle-class life
Example
Babbitt is a classic work of American literature that still resonates today.
Origins of babbitt
named after its inventor, Isaac Babbitt
Summary: babbitt in Brief
The term 'babbitt' [ˈbabɪt] has two main meanings. The first refers to a soft metal alloy used for bearings, especially in internal combustion engines. The second meaning is a person or group that conforms unthinkingly to middle-class values and materialism. This usage is exemplified by 'He was a babbitt who cared more about his car than his family.' 'Babbitt' extends into phrases like 'babbitt metal,' and the novel 'Babbitt,' which satirizes middle-class conformity.
