Meaning & use
baba
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Meanings
nouncountable
A small, light yeast cake, often shaped like a mushroom, that is soaked in a sweet syrup, typically flavored with rum.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a baba', 'two babas'. Uncountable when referring to the substance: 'a slice of baba'.
Patterns
- a rum baba
- babas soaked in syrup
- serve babas with cream
For dessert, we had a rum baba soaked in syrup and topped with whipped cream.
The bakery sells small babas that are perfect with coffee.
She made a large baba for the party and drizzled it with orange syrup.
nouncountableregional
A woman's head covering, often a scarf or kerchief, worn in some parts of Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Grammar: Countable: 'a baba', 'babas'. Not to be confused with the cake meaning; context makes it clear.
Patterns
- wear a baba
- a colorful baba
The older women in the village often wear a baba tied under the chin.
She bought a silk baba as a souvenir from her trip.
Word forms
| plural | babas |
|---|
Common combinations
- rum baba
- The menu lists a classic rum baba with vanilla ice cream.
- baba au rhum
- In French restaurants, you might see it called baba au rhum.
- soak a baba in syrup
- You need to soak the baba in syrup until it is completely moist.
- serve a baba
- They serve the baba warm with a dollop of cream.
- a slice of baba
- He cut himself a generous slice of baba.
- baba with whipped cream
- I prefer my baba with whipped cream rather than plain.
Synonyms and how they differ
- savarin
- A savarin is a similar yeast cake soaked in syrup, but it is usually ring-shaped rather than mushroom-shaped.
- rum cake
- Rum cake is a broader term for any cake flavored with rum, not necessarily soaked in syrup like a baba.
Word family
- baba au rhum noun
- The French name for a rum baba, often used in English menus.
Commonly confused: baba or baba ghanoush?
baba vs baba ghanoush
Baba ghanoush is a Middle Eastern dip made from eggplant, not a sweet cake. The word 'baba' alone usually means the cake in English.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'baba' correctly to refer to the dessert?
Choose one answer.
A baba is a sweet yeast cake soaked in syrup, so ordering it for dessert makes sense. Option 2 confuses it with a savory spread like baba ghanoush. Option 3 describes a spicy dish, which a baba is not. Option 4 refers to a head covering, which is a different meaning of 'baba'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “baba”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.