noun
babu
BAH-boo
noun
1
A respectful title for a Hindu man, similar to "Mr.", traditionally placed after the surname.
"The letter was addressed to Sharma Babu."
2
A low-ranking clerk or minor government official, especially one seen as bound up in red tape — a leftover sense from the colonial era.
"Getting the permit meant waiting in line for a babu to stamp the form."
How to Use Babu
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA polite Hindu title of address, or (more critically) a term for a petty bureaucrat.
Word Forms
babus plural, Babus plural
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Etymology
From Hindi बाबू (bābū), a term of respect that also came to label colonial-era clerks.