Booby \Boo"by\ (b[=oo]"b[y^]), n.; pl. Boobies (-b[i^]z). [Sp.
bobo dunce, idiot; cf. L. balbus stammering, E. barbarous.]
1. A dunce; a stupid fellow.
2. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A swimming bird (Sula fiber or S. sula) related to
the common gannet, and found in the West Indies,
nesting on the bare rocks. It is so called on account
of its apparent stupidity. The name is also sometimes
applied to other species of gannets; as, S.
piscator, the red-footed booby.
(b) A species of penguin of the antarctic seas.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
|