Definition of BAA

baa

Meanings

Plural: baas

Noun

  • the cry made by sheep
  • The characteristic cry or bleating of a sheep.
  • The letter ب in the Arabic script.

Verb

  • cry plaintively
  • To make the characteristic cry of a sheep.

Intj

  • The characteristic cry of a sheep.

Origin / 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

blat, blate, bleat, bleating

Scrabble Score: 5

baa is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
baa is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
baa is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 6

baa is a valid Words With Friends word