English Explanatory Dictionary

baa

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The characteristic cry or bleating of a sheep or (broader) a sheep or goat.
intj
  1. The characteristic cry of a sheep or (broader) a sheep or goat.
verb
  1. To make the characteristic cry of a sheep or (broader) a sheep or goat.
noun
  1. The letter ب in the Arabic script.
name
  1. Initialism of Broad Agency Announcement.
  2. Initialism of Business Associate Agreement: under HIPAA, a contract to protect personal health information.
name
  1. An administrative atoll of the Maldives, officially named Maalhosmadulu Dhekunuburi.

Pronunciation

[bɑː] [bæ] [bɑ] [bæ̰ː] [bæ̰ˀæ̰ˀæ̰ˀæ̰ˀ] en-uk-baa.ogg en-us-baa.ogg

Word forms

baa baas bah baaing baaed

Etymology

Compare German bäh, mäh; an imitative word. Notes on phonological development The pronunciation /bɑː/ is perhaps a development from earlier /bæː/ reflecting the shift of /æː/ to /ɑː/ during the 18th and 19th centuries. Compare Early Modern English bae, bea, both "to baa", respectively displaying the then current pronunciation of Middle English /aː/ as /æː/ and the failure of Middle English /ɛː/ to raise, and the replacement of mew with meow for another instance where recent sound change has made onomatopoeia opaque.

Synonyms

bleat bleating blat

Derived words

baa-lamb
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