babushka

noun

ba·​bush·​ka bə-ˈbüsh-kə  -ˈbu̇sh- 

ba-

1

a

: a usually triangularly folded kerchief for the head

b

: a head covering (such as a scarf) resembling a babushka

2

a

: grandmother

Until my own babushka's generation very specific clothes were assigned to specific classes, specific hairstyles distinguishing married from unmarried women.

—Francine du Plessix Gray

b

: an elderly Russian woman

… I jostled among babushkas clutching bags of food for a place on the bus …

—Gary Lee

Illustration of babushka

• babushka 1a

Synonyms of babushka

• handkerchief

Examples of babushka in a Sentence

an elderly Russian woman with a babushka

Recent Examples on the Web

No less a local film authority than Kristen Stewart, the moderator of the screening’s cast discussion, could be seen among the revelers; also, a group of enterprising young men by the DJ booth who tied their babushkas around their heads and popped baseball caps over them. —Emma Specter, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2026

Among the supporting cast, Lester is wonderfully grumpy and Harriet Walter, playing Bea’s wise babushka, great fun. —Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 Jan. 2026

The house that was hit, next door, was where a babushka lived. —Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025

These women were regularly substituted and replaced, so a new face in the crowd was unlikely to draw attention from the other babushkas or from the militia. —Dawn Klavon, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Russian, grandmother, diminutive of baba old woman

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

babushka

noun

ba·​bush·​ka bə-ˈbüsh-kə  -ˈbu̇sh- 

: a kerchief usually folded into a triangle and worn on the head

Etymology

from Russian babushka, "grandmother"