"poobah" meaning in English

See poobah in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈpuːbɑː/ Audio: en-us-poobah.ogg [US], en-au-poobah.ogg [Australia] Forms: poobahs [plural]
Etymology: From Pooh-Bah, a comic character in the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta The Mikado (1885), formed as pooh + bah, both expressing contempt. Libretto by W. S. Gilbert, preceded by character Pish-Tush-Pooh-Bah (described as “haughty”) in “King Borriah Bungalee Boo” (1866), one of the Bab Ballads, with pish and tush other terms of contempt. Etymology templates: {{compound|en|pooh|bah}} pooh + bah, {{m|en|pish}} pish, {{m|en|tush}} tush Head templates: {{en-noun}} poobah (plural poobahs)
  1. A person who holds multiple offices or positions of power at the same time. Categories (topical): People
    Sense id: en-poobah-en-noun-8MahmGbG Disambiguation of People: 97 0 3 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with language name categories using raw markup, English entries with topic categories using raw markup Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 45 6 49 Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 46 5 49 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 45 6 49
  2. A leader or other important person.
    Sense id: en-poobah-en-noun-GpRO0~YL
  3. A pompous, self-important person.
    Sense id: en-poobah-en-noun-k8Mh2BAe Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with language name categories using raw markup, English entries with topic categories using raw markup Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 45 6 49 Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 46 5 49 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 45 6 49
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: pooh bah, pooh-bah, poo bah, poo-bah, Poo-Bah, Pooh-Bah Derived forms: grand poobah Related terms: dual mandate, nabob, tycoon

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for poobah meaning in English (3.7kB)

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "grand poobah"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "pooh",
        "3": "bah"
      },
      "expansion": "pooh + bah",
      "name": "compound"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "pish"
      },
      "expansion": "pish",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "tush"
      },
      "expansion": "tush",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Pooh-Bah, a comic character in the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta The Mikado (1885), formed as pooh + bah, both expressing contempt. Libretto by W. S. Gilbert, preceded by character Pish-Tush-Pooh-Bah (described as “haughty”) in “King Borriah Bungalee Boo” (1866), one of the Bab Ballads, with pish and tush other terms of contempt.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "poobahs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "poobah (plural poobahs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "dual mandate"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "nabob"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "tycoon"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "45 6 49",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "46 5 49",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "45 6 49",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "97 0 3",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person who holds multiple offices or positions of power at the same time."
      ],
      "id": "en-poobah-en-noun-8MahmGbG",
      "links": [
        [
          "multiple",
          "multiple"
        ],
        [
          "office",
          "office"
        ],
        [
          "position",
          "position"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A leader or other important person."
      ],
      "id": "en-poobah-en-noun-GpRO0~YL"
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "45 6 49",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "46 5 49",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "45 6 49",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A pompous, self-important person."
      ],
      "id": "en-poobah-en-noun-k8Mh2BAe"
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈpuːbɑː/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-poobah.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/05/En-us-poobah.ogg/En-us-poobah.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/En-us-poobah.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-au-poobah.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/56/En-au-poobah.ogg/En-au-poobah.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/En-au-poobah.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "pooh bah"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "pooh-bah"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "poo bah"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "poo-bah"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "Poo-Bah"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "Pooh-Bah"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Bab Ballads",
    "The Mikado",
    "W. S. Gilbert"
  ],
  "word": "poobah"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 2-syllable words",
    "English compound terms",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English eponyms",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "en:People"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "grand poobah"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "pooh",
        "3": "bah"
      },
      "expansion": "pooh + bah",
      "name": "compound"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "pish"
      },
      "expansion": "pish",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "tush"
      },
      "expansion": "tush",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Pooh-Bah, a comic character in the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta The Mikado (1885), formed as pooh + bah, both expressing contempt. Libretto by W. S. Gilbert, preceded by character Pish-Tush-Pooh-Bah (described as “haughty”) in “King Borriah Bungalee Boo” (1866), one of the Bab Ballads, with pish and tush other terms of contempt.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "poobahs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "poobah (plural poobahs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "dual mandate"
    },
    {
      "word": "nabob"
    },
    {
      "word": "tycoon"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A person who holds multiple offices or positions of power at the same time."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "multiple",
          "multiple"
        ],
        [
          "office",
          "office"
        ],
        [
          "position",
          "position"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A leader or other important person."
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A pompous, self-important person."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈpuːbɑː/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-poobah.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/05/En-us-poobah.ogg/En-us-poobah.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/En-us-poobah.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-au-poobah.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/56/En-au-poobah.ogg/En-au-poobah.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/En-au-poobah.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "pooh bah"
    },
    {
      "word": "pooh-bah"
    },
    {
      "word": "poo bah"
    },
    {
      "word": "poo-bah"
    },
    {
      "word": "Poo-Bah"
    },
    {
      "word": "Pooh-Bah"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Bab Ballads",
    "The Mikado",
    "W. S. Gilbert"
  ],
  "word": "poobah"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.