Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Booby
Boo′by
(boō′by̆)
, Noun.
pl.
Boobies
(-bĭz)
. [Sp.
bobo
dunce, idiot; cf. L. balbus
stammering, E. barbarous
.] 1.
A dunce; a stupid fellow.
2.
(Zool.)
(a)
A swimming bird (
Sula fiber
or Sula 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 – unafraid of men, it allows itself to be caught by a simple and undisguised approach. The name is also sometimes applied to other species of gannets; as, Sula piscator
, the red-footed booby
; and Sula nebouxii
, the blue-footed booby
. (b)
A species of penguin of the antarctic seas.
Boo′by
(boō′by̆)
, Adj.
Having the characteristics of a booby; stupid.
Webster 1828 Edition
Booby
BOO'BY
,Noun.
1.
A dunce; a stupid fellow; a lubber; one void of wisdom, or intellect.2.
A fowl of the pelican genus, of a brown and white color, much varied in different individuals. This fowl is found among the Bahama isles, feeds upon fish and lays its eggs on the bare rocks. It has a joint in the upper mandible, by which it can raise it without opening the mouth.