Babble, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Babbled (p. pr. & vb. n. Babbling.]
Etymology: [Cf.LG. babbeln, D. babbelen, G. bappeln, bappern, F. babiller, It. babbolare; prob. orig., to keep saying ba, imitative of a child learning to talk.]
1. To utter words indistinctly or unintelligibly; to utter inarticulate sounds; as a child babbles.
2. To talk incoherently; to utter unmeaning words.
3. To talk much; to chatter; to prate.
4. To make a continuous murmuring noise, as shallow water running over stones. In every babbling he finds a friend. Wordsworth.
2 more senses
Note: Hounds are said to babble, or to be babbling, when they are too noisy after having found a good scent.
Syn. -- To prate; prattle; chatter; gossip.
2 other Webster entries under this spelling
Babble, v. i.
1. To utter in an indistinct or incoherent way; to repeat,as words, in a childish way without understanding. These [words] he used to babble in all companies. Arbuthnot.
2. To disclose by too free talk, as a secret.
Babble, n.
1. Idle talk; senseless prattle; gabble; twaddle. "This is mere moral babble." Milton.
2. Inarticulate speech; constant or confused murmur. The babble of our young children. Darwin. The babble of the stream. Tennyson.
Shades of meaning
Most of these words are onomatopoetic. The cackle of a hen, the gabble of a goose, the chatter of a magpie, the babble of a running stream, as applied to human speech, indicate a rapid succession of what are to the listener meaningless sounds. Blab and blurt (commonly blurt out) refer to the letting out of what the lips can no longer keep in; blab, of a secret; blurt out, of passionate feeling. To chat is to talk in an easy, pleasant way, not without sense, but without special purpose. Chatting is the practise of adults, prattling that of children. To prate is to talk idly, presumptuously, or foolishly, but not necessarily incoherently. To jabber is to utter a rapid succession of unintelligible sounds, generally more noisy than chattering. To gossip is to talk of petty personal matters, as for pastime or mischief. To twaddle is to talk feeble nonsense. To murmur is to utter suppressed or even inarticulate sounds, suggesting the notes of a dove, or the sound of a running stream, and is used figuratively of the half suppressed utterances of affection or pity, or of complaint, resentment, etc. Compare speak.
Prepositions
Babies babble for the moon; the crowd babbles of a hero; the sick man babbles of home.