babbitt

verb1

1. •
   To line (something) with babbitt metal to reduce friction.

   • The main bearings were babbitted and line-bored.

noun1

1. •
   Ellipsis of babbitt metal or Babbitt metal (“a soft white alloy of variable composition used in bearings to diminish friction”).

   • Running while low on oil had galled the babbitt.

noun1

1. •
   (US, old-fashioned) A person who subscribes complacently to materialistic middle-class ideals.

   • A Babbitt met a Bromide on the avenue one day. They held a conversation in their own peculiar way. — 1927