Definition of "booby"

A Frenchman, in his own Country, would dress a fine Dinner of twenty Dishes, and all genteel and pretty, for the Expence he will put an English Lord to for dressing one Dish. But then there is the little petty Profit. [...] So much is the blind Folly of this Age, that they would rather be impos'd on by a French Booby, than give Encouragement to a good English Cook!

1747, Hannah Glasse, The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, page iii

The daughter is said to be well-bred and beautiful; the son an awkward booby, reared up and spoiled at his mother's apron-string.

1773, Oliver Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer‎, act I

As for the Pyramids, there is nothing to wonder at in them so much as the fact that so many men could be found degraded enough to spend their lives constructing a tomb for some ambitious booby, whom it would have been wiser and manlier to have drowned in the Nile, and then given his body to the dogs.

1854, Henry David Thoreau, chapter I, in Walden‎, New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co, published 1910, page 74

She knotted our ribbons very tightly so that we should not lose them,—they pulled the little hairs under our curls and made us "ooch" and wriggle. Then Dede gave us little smacks and called us boobies.

1942, Emily Carr, “How Lizzie Was Shamed Right Through”, in The Book of Small

At which time, ſome Boobyes, weary of flight, made our Ship their pearch, an animall ſo ſimple as ſuffers any to take her without feare, as if a ſtupid ſenſe made her careleſſe of danger...

1638, Sir Thomas Herbert, Some years travels into divers parts of Asia and Afrique

We found on St. Paul's only two kinds of birds—the booby and the noddy. The former is a species of gannet, and the latter a tern. Both are of a tame and stupid disposition, and are so unaccustomed to visitors, that I could have killed any number of them with my geological hammer.

1839, Robert FitzRoy, Phillip Parker King, Charles Darwin, chapter I, in Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majesty’s Ships Adventure and Beagle, between the Years 1826 and 1836, […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Henry Colburn, […]

A booby may displace another booby or a bridged ball by roquet, ricochet, or concussion.

1863, Mayne Reid, Croquet‎, London: C.J. Skeet, page 33

Who lounge and who loot, and who booby about, / No knowledge within, and no manners without;

1824, Washington Irving, “Proclamation”, in Salmagundi, volume 1

Self Boobied. Donald E. Campbell of Merritt Island, Fla., accidentally tripped on one of the shotgun shell booby traps he had installed

1976, “Weekly Almanac”, in Jet, volume 22, page 44

When we arrived at the houſe, I was in the utmoſt confuſion; for the booby ſervants ſtood gaping and grinning at my diſtreſs, and Sir Sampſson himſelf told me, with a laugh as horrible as Caliban's, that he would lend me one of his maids to carry me out airing every morning.

1755 January 23, The Connoisseur, 3rd edition, volume 2, number 52, published 1757, page 131

At ten o’clock she was lying on the divan with her boobies in her hands.

1934, Henry Miller, Tropic of Cancer, Grove Press, published 1961

Got my neck, got my boobies / Got my heart, got my soul / Got my back, I got my sex

1968, “Ain't Got No, I Got Life”, in 'Nuff Said!, performed by Nina Simone

She is beyond hot: her long, black, curly hair cascades around her naked boobies!

2008, Richard Uhlig, Boy Minus Girl

"Actually, I'm hoping the other team hasn't learned how to do that. I'm sorta going for hypno boobies."

2015 January 30, Dan Shive, El Goonish Shive - EGS:NP (webcomic), Comic for Friday, Jan 30, 2015

If it's too tight, I don't want the fat coming out heeya?' She points to the danger spot, where upper arm brushes against glorious bosom, and the top of a strapless dress can cut an unsightly line. 'Am I very booby? Do I look very chesty?'

2001, Helen Garner, The Feel of Steel, Picador Australia, page 221

We did a photoshoot the week before and she took the dress from the shoot and said: "I want to wear this for the awards next week. Her publicist was like, "Don't you think it's a bit 'booby' for a kids event?" But she wore it anyway!'

2011 March 31, Jo Berry, Katy Perry: California Gurl, Hachette UK

Everyone has their paranoias. And we all chip in, swap handbags and jewellery, and offer lots of support when one or another is having doubts about their frock.'Wow, you look amazing!''Aw, I think I look a bit booby.''I don't like my bra.'

2017 March 9, Kate Garraway, The Joy of Big Knickers: (or learning to love the rest of your life), Bonnier Publishing Ltd.

I put on boxer shorts and a strappy baby-doll dress that floated from my ribs comfortably. It was a bit booby. Leftover pre-period bloat, I guess.

2021 August 24, Mary-Lou Zeitoun, Jamilah at the End of the World, James Lorimer & Company, page 66

Can I borrow your pink lacey bra?Why? You're like three sizes boobier than me?

2021 June 10, Lucy Vine, Bad Choices: The most hilarious book about female friendship you’ll read this year!, Hachette UK