babushka

noun

ba·​bush·​ka bə-ˈbüsh-kə How to pronounce babushka (audio) -ˈbu̇sh- How to pronounce babushka (audio)
ba-
1
a
: a usually triangularly folded kerchief for the head
b
: a head covering (such as a scarf) resembling a babushka
2
a
: grandmother
Until my own babushka's generation very specific clothes were assigned to specific classes, specific hairstyles distinguishing married from unmarried women.Francine du Plessix Gray
b
: an elderly Russian woman
… I jostled among babushkas clutching bags of food for a place on the bus …Gary Lee

Illustration of babushka

Illustration of babushka
  • babushka 1a

Examples of babushka in a Sentence

an elderly Russian woman with a babushka
Recent Examples on the Web But the real standout of Lawrence’s outfit was her coordinating headscarf, draped over her head and tied under her chin like a babushka. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 29 Feb. 2024 These women were regularly substituted and replaced, so a new face in the crowd was unlikely to draw attention from the other babushkas or from the militia. Dawn Klavon, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024 Become a Subscriber Sonia’s reproach is not the innocent hyperbole of a babushka. Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 19 Dec. 2023 Still unclear is why an apparently healthy teenaged girl ingested trimetazidine, a drug meant to treat angina that customarily would be used by a babushka with a bum ticker. John Powers, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Feb. 2022 In some villages, babushkas lay down in the roads blocking Ukrainian tanks, officers said, and in one, an especially cunning babushka kept stealing the soldiers’ helmets. BostonGlobe.com, 17 Sep. 2022 The Ukrainian babushka waited for a departing train headed east. NBC News, 2 May 2022 The look is finished off with a silk scarf tied around her head like a babushka, gigantic sunglasses, and a Dior tote with her name embroidered onto it. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 10 Feb. 2022 The babushka-wearing elderly women sweeping the vast square early every morning used bunches of twigs tied to short broomsticks. Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'babushka.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Russian, grandmother, diminutive of baba old woman

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of babushka was in 1938

Dictionary Entries Near babushka

Cite this Entry

“Babushka.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/babushka. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

babushka

noun
ba·​bush·​ka bə-ˈbüsh-kə How to pronounce babushka (audio) -ˈbu̇sh- How to pronounce babushka (audio)
: a kerchief usually folded into a triangle and worn on the head
Etymology

from Russian babushka, "grandmother"

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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