Link Centre Dictionary

boffin

bof·fin

UK/ˈbɒfɪn/ US/ˈbɑfɪn/ rare informal uk

noun

Origin

Origin unknown; a number of possible etymologies have been suggested, but no conclusive evidence exists. One strong theory conjectures a connection from the "Mr. Boffins" of English novels, such as in Dickens' Our Mutual Friend.

Phrases

  • mad scientist

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.