noun
- Plural of baboo; a Hindu or Muslim clerk or official in India during the British colonial period.
- Plural of baboo; a term sometimes used disparagingly for an Indian man who adopts Western manners or dress.
Usage: historical; often capitalized; chiefly British Indian English
Usage: dated; offensive; colonial-era usage
Examples
- The baboos worked in the administrative offices of the colonial government.
- Several baboos were employed as translators and record-keepers.
- The British relied on local baboos to manage day-to-day bureaucratic tasks.
- In historical accounts, baboos are often depicted as intermediaries between colonial rulers and Indian subjects.