cub

¹

[kuhb]

noun

1. the young of certain animals, as the bear, lion, or tiger.

2. a young shark.

3. a young and inexperienced person, especially a callow youth or young man.

4. a young person serving as an apprentice.

5. cub reporter.

6. cub scout.

7. (initial capital letter),  any small, light monoplane with a high wing, a single engine, and an enclosed cabin.

verb (used without object)

cubbed, cubbing 

1. to work as a cub reporter.

2. (of a female bear, lion, tiger, etc.) to give birth to a cub or cubs.

3. to hunt fox cubs.

cub.

²

abbreviation

1. cubic.

cub

¹

/ kʌb /

noun

1. the young of certain animals, such as the lion, bear, etc

2. a young or inexperienced person

verb

1. to give birth to (cubs)

Cub

²

/ kʌb /

noun

1. short for Cub Scout

Other Word Forms

• cubbish adjective
• cubbishly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of cub¹

First recorded in 1520–30; perhaps from Scandinavian; compare Old Norse kobbi “young seal,” kubbr “stump,” hence, “short, thick-set person”

Word History and Origins

Origin of cub¹

C16: perhaps from Old Norse kubbi young seal; see _cob ¹

Example Sentences

Blame the mother wolf, wild with grief for her slain cubs, and the vengeful curse she had unleashed upon the admiral and all his tribe!

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“Sonnets, too lovey-dovey,” Alexander agreed, for he and his siblings tended to stick together, like cubs in a litter, one might say.

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“Aren’t you a silly cub? Pirates don’t live in the woods.”

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“Children? A pack of wolf cubs would be more like it.”

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There are typically only two reasons why a female panda would stop the bamboo eat-a-thon: if she were giving birth or tending to her new cub.

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