bubble
a nearly spherical body of gas contained in a liquid.
a small globule of gas in a thin liquid envelope.
a globule of air or gas, or a globular vacuum, contained in a solid.
anything that lacks firmness, substance, or permanence; an illusion or delusion.
the act or sound of bubbling.
a spherical or nearly spherical canopy or shelter; dome: The bombing plane bristled with machine-gun bubbles.A network of radar bubbles stretches across northern Canada.
a domelike structure, usually of inflated plastic, used to enclose a swimming pool, tennis court, etc.
a protected, exempt, or unique area, industry, etc.: The oasis is a bubble of green in the middle of the desert.
an area that can be defended, protected, patrolled, etc., or that comes under one's jurisdiction: The carrier fleet's bubble includes the Hawaiian Islands.
a zone of cognitive or psychological isolation, in which one’s preexisting ideas are reinforced through interactions with like-minded people or those with similar social identities: You can’t live in your own partisan political bubble 364 days of the year and then expect to happily reconnect with your family at Thanksgiving.
a group or circle of people who interact or socialize with one another because of familial ties, shared interests, etc.: I do try to expand my social bubble and look for opportunities to make new friends.
Also called pod . a small group of people who interact or socialize exclusively with one another in order to contain the spread of a contagious disease: I’m only getting together with my quarantine bubble of five family members.
Economics.
Also called spec·u·la·tive bub·ble [spek-yuh-luh-tiv buhb-uhl], /ˈspɛk yəˌlə tɪv ˈbʌb əl/, as·set price bub·ble [as-et prahys-buhb-uhl] /ˈæs ɛt ˈpraɪs ˈbʌb əl/ . an inflated speculation that causes an unsustainable increase in the value of goods, property, or other investment: The real-estate bubble ruined many investors when it burst.
a sudden, temporary change or divergence from a trend: In May there was a bubble in car sales, with three percent more being sold than last year.
to form, produce, or release bubbles; effervesce.
to flow or spout with a gurgling noise; gurgle.
to boil: The water bubbled in the pot.
to speak, move, issue forth, or exist in a lively, sparkling manner; exude cheer: The play bubbled with songs and dances.
to seethe or stir, as with excitement: His mind bubbles with plans and schemes.
to cause to bubble; make bubbles in.
Archaic. to cheat; deceive; swindle.
bubble over, to become lively: The last time I saw her she was bubbling over with enthusiasm.
Idioms about bubble
burst someone’s bubble, to diminish someone’s enthusiasm or optimism, especially with a reminder of sobering facts or realistic expectations.
Origin of bubble
1Other words from bubble
- bub·ble·less, adjective
- bub·ble·like, adjective
- bub·bling·ly, adverb
Words that may be confused with bubble
Words Nearby bubble
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use bubble in a sentence
They ultimately decided coming to the bubble and playing televised games would give them the largest platform, though now at least some are wondering if that’s still true.
Athletes, from the NBA to tennis stars, are striking to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake | kdunn6 | August 27, 2020 | FortuneWe’re down here playing in the bubble to do these things for social justice and all that.
Why A Strike For Racial Justice Started With The Milwaukee Bucks And The NBA | Neil Paine (neil.paine@fivethirtyeight.com) | August 27, 2020 | FiveThirtyEightSo it was that hockey’s return — staged in an antiseptic bubble — involved a scrap.
All 16 teams that make the postseason will play on the same three courts, sans fans, deep inside a disinfected Disney World fortress known as the bubble.
How the NBA is using virtual fans to make games feel normal | Nicolás Rivero | August 14, 2020 | QuartzIn communities from Chicago to San Diego, parents are forming pandemic pods and microschools — bubbles where small groups of kids can meet and learn together.
Even as early as December 4, remarks from inside the bubble were cryptic and frightened.
Pyongyang Shuffle: Hollywood In Dead Panic Over Sony Hack | James Poulos | December 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe housing bubble was at very the center of the financial crisis that birthed Dodd-Frank.
All sorts of government policies blew that bubble up until it popped.
When the “Buying bubble” bursts, what then for the U.S. economy?
Marvel and DC Plan 20 Movies for the Next Six Years: Will the Comic Book Movie bubble Burst?
7 Must-Read Stories about Tim Cook, Amelia Earheart and Slut-o-Ween: The Best of The Beast | William Boot | November 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOr turn from the gray officials to the purple citizens of the soap bubble commonwealth of socialism.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice | Stephen LeacockViolet laid the tin plate over the top for a cover, and they all stood by to hear the first bubble.
The Box-Car Children | Gertrude Chandler WarnerPederson headed a bloc against 'Carmack's Folly,' but he backed the wrong horse, and when the bubble burst he was out in the cold.
We're Friends, Now | Henry HasseThere was something so irresistibly amusing in his voice and smile that Mrs. Admaston began to bubble over with laughter.
A Butterfly on the Wheel | Cyril Arthur Edward Ranger GullThere came a little bubble of laughter from Peggy, which seemed to remove all diffidence from Collingwood.
A Butterfly on the Wheel | Cyril Arthur Edward Ranger Gull
British Dictionary definitions for bubble
/ (ˈbʌbəl) /
a thin film of liquid forming a hollow globule around air or a gas: a soap bubble
a small globule of air or a gas in a liquid or a solid, as in carbonated drinks, glass, etc
the sound made by a bubbling liquid
something lacking substance, stability, or seriousness
an unreliable scheme or enterprise
a dome, esp a transparent glass or plastic one
to form or cause to form bubbles
(intr) to move or flow with a gurgling sound
(intr; often foll by over) to overflow (with excitement, anger, etc)
(intr) Scot to snivel; blubber
Origin of bubble
1- See also bubble under
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for bubble
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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