Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A confusion of sounds or voices.
- noun A scene or situation of confusion.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The Semitic name of the city (Babylon) where, according to Gen. xi., the construction of a tower that would reach to heaven was attempted, and where the confusion of tongues took place. See
Babylonian . Hence A lofty structure. - noun A visionary scheme.
- noun A scene of noise and confusion, as a great city or a riotous assemblage.
- noun [cap. or lowercase] A confused mixture of sounds; confusion; disorder.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The city and tower in the land of Shinar, where the confusion of languages took place.
- noun Hence: A place or scene of noise and confusion; a confused mixture of sounds, as of voices or languages.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Alternative form of
Babel .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun (Genesis 11:1-11) a tower built by Noah's descendants (probably in Babylon) who intended it to reach up to heaven; God foiled them by confusing their language so they could no longer understand one another
- noun a confusion of voices and other sounds
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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When I translated the Thomas line in babel fish, it came up with Thomas is more Lugner.
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They speak a babel of languages: Czech, Romanian, Bulgarian,
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They speak a babel of languages: Czech, Romanian, Bulgarian,
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Zero, LaTeX has the "babel" package for almost any language you might want to write in.
Things I want. Angry Professor 2007
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Heaven help many a young attorney in this "babel" of money-getting.
The International Monthly Magazine - Volume V - No II Various
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yes, nimrod probably built the tower of "babel" quite fitting already to reach heaven. brilliant fellow, i'd imagine.
I'm assailed in the local paper for failing to take the 9/11 truthers seriously. Ann Althouse 2008
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They need a tool that translates the right wing language to truth. – add it to babel fish .. it would be a simple enough code to right .. just take the reverse of whatever they say ..
Think Progress » Stupak receives death threats after voting for health reform. 2010
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They need a tool that translates the right wing language to truth. – add it to babel fish .. it would be a simple enough code to right .. just take the reverse of whatever they say ..
Think Progress » Stupak receives death threats after voting for health reform. 2010
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Ashore there was a clamor for Scundoo, and the whole population crowded his door, entreating and imploring in confused babel till he came forth and raised his hand.
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The following sites are in German and can be crudely translated by babel. altavista.com:
The Volokh Conspiracy » How Many Global Deaths from Arms? 2010
skipvia commented on the word babel
"Meanwhile, the poor Babel fish, by effectively removing all barriers to communication between different races and cultures, has caused more and bloodier wars than anything else in the history of creation." Douglas Adams, Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy
December 20, 2007