/bab"euhl/ , v. , babbled, babbling , n.
v.i.
1. to utter sounds or words imperfectly, indistinctly, or without meaning.
2. to talk idly, irrationally, excessively, or foolishly; chatter or prattle.
3. to make a continuous, murmuring sound.
v.t.
4. to utter in an incoherent, foolish, or meaningless fashion.
5. to reveal foolishly or thoughtlessly: to babble a secret.
n.
6. inarticulate or imperfect speech.
7. foolish, meaningless, or incoherent speech; prattle.
8. a murmuring sound or a confusion of sounds.
9. babbling (def. 2).
10. Telecommunications. a confused mixture of extraneous sounds in a circuit, resulting from cross talk from other channels. Cf. cross talk (def. 1).
[ 1200-50; ME babelen; c. ON babbla, D babbelen, G pappelen ]
Syn. 2. chitchat, gabble, drivel, blather. 3. murmur, gurgle, burble.