pabebe wave

Philippines/pɐˌbɛ.bɛ ˈweɪ̯v/

noun

A handwaving gesture imitating certain beauty pageant contestants, which in turn is seen as resembling the stereotypical handwave gesture of a baby.

OriginTagalog pabebe →
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Meanings

nounpabebe wave (plural pabebe waves)

plural pabebe waves

  1. PhilippinesA handwaving gesture imitating certain beauty pageant contestants, which in turn is seen as resembling the stereotypical handwave gesture of a baby.

Origin

  1. Tagalogpabebe
  2. Englishpabebe wave

Borrowed from Tagalog pabebe + wave. First attested in 2015.

More words from Tagalog

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

pabebe wave. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pabebe%20wave

MLA

“pabebe wave.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pabebe%20wave. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pabebe wave,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pabebe%20wave.

Source: pabebe wave on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.