ˈbu:bɪ n. (pl. -ies) 1 a
stupid or
childish person. 2 a
small gannet of
the genus Sula. øbooby-hatch
esp. US sl. a
mental hospital. booby prize a prize
given to the
least successful competitor in
any contest. booby trap 1 a trap
intended as a
practical joke, e.g. an
object placed on top of a
door ajar. 2
Mil. an apparently
harmless explosive device intended to
kill or
injure anyone touching it. booby-trap v.tr.
place a booby trap or
traps in or
on. [prob. f.
Sp. bobo (in
both senses) f. L balbus stammering]