Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The chatterer: a name borrowed from the French by Rennie for the lesser white-throat, Sylvia curruca of Europe, la fauvette babillarde of Buffon.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Zoöl.) The lesser whitethroat of Europe; -- called also babbling warbler.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun zoology The lesser whitethroat of Europe

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

French, a “babbler”.

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Examples

  • Quelques instants fugaces de babillard avec des Canadiens perdus dans les grands froids.

    Entretiens / Interviews / Entrevistas Marie Lebert

  • Marat, whom no power on Earth can prevent seeing into traitors and Rolands, takes to bed for three days; almost dead, the invaluable People's-Friend, with heartbreak, with fever and headache: 'O, Peuple babillard, si tu savais agir, People of Babblers, if thou couldst but act!'

    The French Revolution Thomas Carlyle 1838

  • In the first category were babelard or babillard for ` babbler '; lubbard for ` big, stupid lout' (from which came landlubber); caynard ` lazy dog '(ultimately from the Italian cagna ` bitch'); losard ` rake 'or ` profligate' (from Old English losel ` one who is lost to perdition '); and the mellifluous but contumelious musard, whose sin was day-dreaming.

    VERBATIM: The Language Quarterly Vol XIX No 4 1993

  • Le babillard, après s'être épuisé en vains propos, voyant qu'Aristote ne lui répondit rien: "Je vous incommode peut-être, lui dit-il, ces bagatelles vous détournent de quelques pensées plus sérieuses?

    French Conversation and Composition Harry Vincent Wann

  • Taciturne et tranquille pour l'ordinaire, mais quelquefois extrêmement pétulant et babillard, presque toujours dans les extrêmes, obstiné et rebelle à la force, fort soumis aux avis qu'on me donnait avec amitié, contenu plutôt par la crainte d'être grondé que par toute autre chose, d'une timidité excessive, et inflexible quand on voulait me prendre à rebours. "

    The Works of Lord Byron. Vol. 2 George Gordon Byron Byron 1806

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