boba
Americannoun
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Also boba tea bubble tea.
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(often used with a plural verb) large, round pearls of tapioca, usually boiled in a sweetened syrup and served in bubble tea.
Etymology
Origin of boba
First recorded in 1995–2000; said to be from a dialectal Chinese source akin to Cantonese bo baa or Mandarin bōbà “tapioca pearl,” colloquially, “big-breasted woman,” equivalent to Cantonese bo “ball, breast” (from English ball 1 ( def. ) ) + baa “overlord, tyrant”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If you want to add boba or other types of toppings, or make it a protein-based drink, you can.
A good example is putting boba on an energy drink.
China’s boba behemoth has landed in Hollywood.
From Los Angeles Times
The megachain’s entry into Los Angeles’ boba market comes at a time when local shops are struggling with rising costs driven by tariffs and economic uncertainty.
From Los Angeles Times
On Thursday evening, Mixue customers stood outside — the shop does not offer seating — eating soft serve and sipping on boba milk tea and the store’s signature grape drink with taro balls.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
