bubble

[ buhb-uhl ]

/ ˈbʌb əl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bubble ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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 information bubble 364 days of the year and then expect to happily reconnect with your family at Thanksgiving.

Economics.

Also called speculative bubble, asset price bubble. 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.

verb (used without object), bub·bled, bub·bling.

to form, produce, or release bubbles; effervesce.

to flow or spout with a gurgling noise; gurgle.

to boil: The tea 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.

verb (used with object), bub·bled, bub·bling.

to cause to bubble; make bubbles in.

Archaic. to cheat; deceive; swindle.

Verb Phrases

bubble over, to become lively: The last time I saw her she was bubbling over with enthusiasm.

Nearby words

bubal, bubaline, bubalis, bubas, bubba, bubble, bubble and squeak, bubble bath, bubble bowl, bubble car, bubble card

Idioms

burst someone’s bubble, to diminish someone’s enthusiasm or optimism, especially with a reminder of sobering facts or realistic expectations.

Origin of bubble

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English noun bobel; cognate with Middle Dutch bobbel, bubbel, Middle Low German bubbele, Swedish bubbla

Related formsbub·ble·less, adjectivebub·ble·like, adjectivebub·bling·ly, adverb

Can be confusedbabble bauble bubble

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bubbling

The shared feelings, the bubbling emotion, the awe: she became an experience.
Bow Down, Bitches: How Beyoncé Turned an Elevator Brawl Into a Perfect Year|Kevin Fallon|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Most of all, Orman reflects a bubbling Main Street frustration with hyper-partisan gridlock.
The Kansas Independent Who Could Control the Senate|John Avlon|September 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In L.A., the really exhilarant cooking was bubbling up from the bottom, not trickling down from the top.
Why Los Angeles Is the Best Food Town in America|Andrew Romano|November 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“But now the lid is coming off and overt racism is bubbling out,” says Bennett.
Ghosts of the Confederacy Out in Force as Fringe Rules GOP|Eleanor Clift|October 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Maybe it all was bubbling under the surface as she seemed to many people to be doing fine.
What Pushed Miriam Carey to a Capitol Hill Tragedy?|Michael Daly|October 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Symptoms: Cough, rapid breathing, whistling, rattling and bubbling in throat.
Pratt's Practical Pointers on the Care of Livestock and Poultry|Pratt Food Co.
Teddy's voice was gravity itself, although she, too, was bubbling over.
Masters of Space|Edward Elmer Smith
Here were the springs bubbling away just as they always had.
The Adventures of Paddy Beaver|Thornton W. Burgess
As the sheep were stripped, they were tugged to the fire and branded from the bubbling tar with the smet mark of the Ritsons.
A Son of Hagar|Sir Hall Caine
He saw that she was near to bubbling over with ideas ready to pour out to him.
Jewel's Story Book|Clara Louise Burnham

British Dictionary definitions for bubbling

bubble

/ (ˈbʌbəl) /

noun

a thin film of liquid forming a hollow globule around air or a gasa 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

verb

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

Word Origin for bubble

C14: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Swedish bubbla, Danish boble, Dutch bobbel, all of imitative origin

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

Word Origin and History for bubbling (1 of 2)

bubble

early 14c., perhaps from Middle Dutch bobbel (n.) and/or Middle Low German bubbeln (v.), all probably of echoic origin. Bubble bath first recorded 1949. Of financial schemes originally in South Sea Bubble (1590s), on notion of "fragile and insubstantial."

Word Origin and History for bubbling (1 of 2)

bubble

mid-15c., perhaps from bubble (n.) and/or from Middle Low German bubbeln (v.), probably of echoic origin. Related: Bubbled; bubbling.

Culture definitions for bubbling

bubble

A period of wild speculation in which the price of a commodity or stock or an entire market is inflated far beyond its real value. Bubbles are said to “burst” when a general awareness of the folly emerges and the price drops.

bubble

noun

verb (used without object), bub·bled, bub·bling.

verb (used with object), bub·bled, bub·bling.

Verb Phrases

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Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of bubble

Examples from the Web for bubbling

British Dictionary definitions for bubbling

bubble

noun

verb

Word Origin for bubble

Word Origin and History for bubbling (1 of 2)

bubble

Word Origin and History for bubbling (1 of 2)

bubble

Culture definitions for bubbling

bubble