Definition of: babble

(bab′əl) noun
1. A murmuring or rippling sound, as of a stream.
2. Prattle, as of an infant.
3. A confusion of sounds, as of a crowd.
4. Telecom. The confused sound of cross-talk from a number of interfering radio channels.
—v. bab·bled, bab·bling v.t.
1. To utter unintelligibly.
2. To blurt out; tell thoughtlessly or foolishly.
—v.i.
3. To utter inarticulate sounds or meaningless noises, as a baby or idiot.
4. To murmur, as a brook.
5. To talk unwisely or foolishly. [ME babelen]
—bab′ble·ment n.
—bab′bler noun Synonyms (verb): blab, blurt, cackle, chat, chatter, gabble, gossip, jabber, murmur, palaver, prate, prattle, tattle, twaddle. 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 refer to the letting out of what the lips can no longer keep in. To chat is to talk in an easy, pleasant way, not without sense, but without special purpose; to prattle is to talk freely and artlessly, as 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. 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. Compare SPEAK.