dingbat
pronunciation
How to pronounce dingbat in British English:
UK [ˈdɪŋbæt]
How to pronounce dingbat in American English:
US [ˈdɪŋˌbæt]
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- Noun:
- a silly empty-headed person
Word Origin
- dingbat (n.)
- 1838, American English, some kind of alcoholic drink, of unknown origin. One of that class of words (such as dingus, doohickey, gadget, gizmo, thingumabob) which are conjured up to supply names for items whose proper names are unknown or not recollected. Used at various periods for "money," "a professional tramp," "a muffin," "a typographical ornament," "male genitalia," "a Chinese," "an Italian," "a woman who is neither your sister nor your mother," and "a foolish person in authority." Popularized in sense of "foolish person" by U.S. TV show "All in the Family" (1971-79), though this usage dates from 1905.
Example
- 1. Is this the dingbat you mean ?
- 2. Edith may seem like a dingbat , but she 's quite clever really .
- 3. Dingbat original decorative dingbats add design flexibility .
- 4. Seen anybody have you since said that dingbat jenny lee ?
- 5. Yet here he was with an upper class dingbat who just happened to be married to his sister .