babbitting
|bab-bit-ting|
/ˈbæbɪtɪŋ/
(babbitt)
materialistic, conformist middle-class person
Etymology
'babbitt' originates from English, specifically the surname 'Babbitt' (the family name of Isaac Babbitt), who gave his name to the alloy 'Babbitt metal' he invented.
'babbitt' changed from the proper name 'Babbitt' (the inventor Isaac Babbitt) to a common noun for the white bearing alloy 'Babbitt metal'; from that noun the verb 'to babbitt' (to coat or line with the alloy) arose. Separately, the capitalized 'Babbitt' (the protagonist in Sinclair Lewis's 1922 novel) gave rise to a figurative sense meaning a complacent, middle‑class conformist.
Initially, it referred to the inventor's surname; over time it evolved to denote the alloy he invented and the action of applying that alloy, and by literary extension also came to describe a certain kind of conformist person.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the act or process of applying Babbitt metal to a bearing or other surface (gerundial noun).
Babbitting of the main bearings took several hours and required careful cleaning.
Synonyms
Verb 1
present participle or gerund of 'babbitt' — to coat or line (a bearing or similar surface) with Babbitt metal (a soft white alloy) or to apply that metal in forming a bearing.
The mechanics were babbitting the crankshaft bearings to restore smooth rotation.
Synonyms
Verb 2
present participle or gerund of 'Babbitt' (from Sinclair Lewis) — acting like a Babbitt: to behave in a narrow, complacent, materialistic, or conventionally conformist way.
Rather than challenge the new plan, he was babbitting, praising every minor convenience it brought.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/23 00:18