1. A soft metal alloy used to reduce friction in bearings and machinery.
Usage: technical; also called Babbitt metal
2. A person who is a conformist and uncritically accepts conventional middle-class values.
Usage: informal; often derogatory; from Sinclair Lewis's novel *Babbitt* (1922)

1. To line or coat (a bearing) with babbitt metal.
Usage: technical; usually used in manufacturing and engineering contexts

Examples

• The engine's bearings were lined with babbitt to reduce wear.
• Engineers decided to babbitt the worn shaft to restore proper fit.
• He was criticized for being a babbitt who never questioned society's rules.
• The old machinery needed to be rebabbitted before it could run safely again.
• She refused to become a babbitt and instead pursued her unconventional dreams.