- (old use) a baby
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- (slang) a word used to address a young woman, or your wife, husband or partner, usually expressing love but sometimes considered offensive if used by a man to a woman he does not know
- What're you doing tonight, babe?
- (informal) an attractive young person (most often used of a woman)
Word Originlate Middle English: probably imitative of an infant's first attempts at speech. Compare with baby.
Idioms
See babe in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionarya babe in arms
- (old-fashioned) a very small baby that cannot yet walk
out of the mouths of babes (and sucklings)
- (saying) used when a small child has just said something that seems very wise or clever
Check pronunciation:
babe