boba

noun

bo·​ba ˈbō-bə 

plural boba also bobas

1

or boba tea : a sweet drink of tea mixed typically with milk, tapioca balls, and additional ingredients (such as fresh fruit or fruit syrup) and served hot or cold : bubble tea

—often used before another noun

a boba shop

2

plural : small balls of tapioca sometimes filled with flavored syrup and used chiefly in making boba

A wider straw enables the squishy bobas, which can have a burst of flavor when popped, to be slurped from the bottom of the cup.

—Laura Gutschke

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Chinese (Beijing) bōbà, name for the large tapioca balls found in the tea, perhaps literally, "large breasts, large-breasted woman"

First Known Use

2000, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing boba

• boba tea