booby

UK: /ˈbuːbɪ/ US: /ˈbubi/ ,(bo̅o̅′bē)

Inflections of 'booby' (n): npl: boobies

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

boo•by¹ /ˈbubi/   n. [countable] , pl. -bies. 

1. a stupid person;
   dunce.
2. Birds a black- or brown-and-white, goose-sized bird living near the sea.

boob•y² /ˈbubi/   n. [countable] , pl. boob•ies. Slang (sometimes vulgar).

1. Slang Terms a female breast.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

boo•by¹  (bo̅o̅′bē), n., pl. -bies. 

1. a stupid person;
   dunce.
2. a gannet of the genus Sula, having a bright bill, bright feet, or both: some are endangered.

• Latin balbus stuttering
• 1590–1600; earlier pooby, apparently blend of, blended poop to befool (now obsolete) and baby; (def. 2) perh. by association with Spanish bobo

boo′by•ish, adj. 

boob•y²  (bo̅o̅′bē), n., pl. boob•ies. Slang (sometimes vulgar).

1. Slang Terms a female breast.

• probably variant of earlier bubby 1930–35, American.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

booby / ˈbuːbɪ/ noun ( -bies)

1. an ignorant or foolish person
2. the losing player in a game
3. any of several tropical marine birds of the genus Sula: family Sulidae, order Pelecaniformes (pelicans, cormorants, etc). They have a straight stout bill and the plumage is white with darker markings
   Compare gannet

Etymology: 17th Century: from Spanish bobo, from Latin balbus stammering