Illustration of babushka
- babushka 1a
babushka
noun
ba·bush·ka
bə-ˈbüsh-kə 
-ˈbu̇sh-
-ˈbu̇sh-
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
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
Gary Lee
Synonyms
Examples of babushka in a Sentence
an elderly Russian woman with a babushka
Recent Examples on the Web
Much like the Polish Solidarity movement that was born 40 years ago in the shipyards of Gdańsk, this consciousness stitches together blue-collar workers and intelligentsia, urban and rural communities—even, in today’s Belarus, IT-savvy youngsters and babushkas.
—Michael Carpenter, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2020
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
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Michael Carpenter, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2020
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
See all Example Sentences for babushka
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Cite this Entry
“Babushka.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/babushka. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
babushka
noun
ba·bush·ka
bə-ˈbüsh-kə
-ˈbu̇sh-
-ˈbu̇sh-
: a kerchief usually folded into a triangle and worn on the head
Etymology
from Russian babushka, "grandmother"
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