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Babel

Babel¹ definition

Ba·bel (bā′bəl, bab′əl)

noun

Bible a city in Shinar in which Noah's descendants tried to build a very high tower to reach heaven and were prevented by God from doing so by a confusion of tongues: Gen. 11:1-9
an impracticable scheme
1. any confusion of voices or sounds; tumult
2. a place of such confusion

Etymology: Heb bavel < Akkadian bābilu, altered (by folk-etym. assoc. with bāb, gate & ili god) < pre-Akkadian city name babila, Babylon

Babel² definition

Ba·bel (bä′bəl)

Babel, Isaak (Emmanuilovich) (ē säk′) 1894-1940; Russ. writer

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.