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
Recent Examples on the WebThe Ukrainian babushka waited for a departing train headed east.NBC News, 2 May 2022 The look is finished off with a silk scarf tied around her head like a babushka, gigantic sunglasses, and a Dior tote with her name embroidered onto it. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 10 Feb. 2022 The babushka-wearing elderly women sweeping the vast square early every morning used bunches of twigs tied to short broomsticks.Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2021 Retro kerchiefs appeared at Conner Ives and Anna Sui, while Paco Rabanne imagined a cozier take: A faux fur babushka. Steff Yotka, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2021 For those who don’t fish for keeps, or for those whose haul exceeds the limits of their bellies, an old, dumpling-faced Russian woman in a babushka takes up the slack. Jonathan Miles, Field & Stream, 8 Dec. 2020 An old lady in a babushka greets him warmly and congratulates him on his great new gig as a bakery delivery man. Kat Rosenfield, EW.com, 4 May 2020 One mother has decided to adopt multiple personas: a Russian babushka, a cynical Brooklynite and a Scottish woman who loves the outdoors.New York Times, 15 Apr. 2020 Following in the footsteps of rapper A$AP Rocky and model Kendall Jenner, Jaden Smith became the latest style star to sport a babushka.Vogue, 28 Sep. 2019 See More
Word History
Etymology
Russian, grandmother, diminutive of baba old woman