bubble
nounUS, UK /ˈbʌbəl/ · AU, NZ /ˈbɐbəl/
Etymology Partly imitative, also influenced by burble. Compare Middle Dutch bobbe (“bubble”) > Dutch bubbel (“bubble”), Low German bubbel (“bubble”), Danish boble (“bubble”), Swedish bubbla (“bubble”). The word was first used in its economic sense in association with the collapse of the South Sea Company in 1720, based on the metaphor of an inflated soap bubble bursting.
20 senses
- 1A spherically contained volume of air or other gas in a…
- 2A small spherical cavity in a solid material.
- 3Anything resembling a hollow sphere.
- 4Anything lacking firmness or solidity; a cheat or fraud…
- 5A period of intense speculation in a market, causing…
- 6The emotional or physical atmosphere in which a subject…
- 7An officer's station in a prison dormitory, affording…
- 8Someone who has been ‘bubbled’ or fooled; a dupe.
- 9A small, hollow, floating bead or globe, formerly used…
- 10The globule of air in the chamber of a spirit level.
- 11A laugh.
- 12A Greek.
- 13Any of the small magnetized areas that make up bubble memory.
- 14In a poker tournament, the point before which eliminated…
- 15The cutoff point between qualifying, advancing or being…
- 16A quarantine environment containing multiple people or…
- 17The people who are in this quarantine.
- 18Ellipsis of travel bubble.
- 19A bulb or lamp; the part of a lighting assembly that…
- 20A specialized glass pipe having a sphere-shaped…
A spherically contained volume of air or other gas in a liquid, commonly a soapy liquid.
A small spherical cavity in a solid material.
- bubbles in window glass, or in a lens
Broadly Anything resembling a hollow sphere.
Figuratively Anything lacking firmness or solidity; a cheat or fraud; an empty project.
- Then a soldier […] / Seeking the bubble reputation / Even in the cannon's mouthc. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vii]:
Economics, Sciences A period of intense speculation in a market, causing prices to rise quickly to irrational levels as the metaphorical bubble expands, and then fall even more quickly as the bubble bursts.
- real estate bubble
- dot-com bubble
2 more examples
- Thanks to the proliferation of semiconductor chips and cell phones—the number of U.S. cell phones grew from essentially zero in 1983 to nearly two hundred million by the end of 2004, and as of 2003 over one billion cell phones were in use worldwide, so by the time the high-tech bubble approached its bursting point in 2000 and 2001, coltan had become an extremely hot commodity.2007, Elizabeth Grossman, High Tech Trash, Island Press, →ISBN, page 46:
- The yawning gap between data-center expenditures and the rest of the economy has caused whispers of bubble to rise to a chorus. […] Rapid construction of canals, railroads, and the fiber-optic cables laid during the dot-com bubble all created frenzies of hype, investment, and financial speculation that crashed markets.2025 October 30, Matteo Wong, Charlie Warzel, “Here’s How the AI Crash Happens”, in The Atlantic:
Figuratively The emotional or physical atmosphere in which a subject is immersed; especially, a homogeneous atmosphere in which subjects are spared exposure to culture or ideas different from their own.
- Thomas, so often West Brom's most positive attacker down their left side and up against Salgado, twice almost burst the bubble of excitement around the ground but he had two efforts superbly saved by Robinson.2011 January 23, Alistair Magowan, “Blackburn 2 - 0 West Brom”, in BBC:
- He’s wrapped up snugly in a cozy bubble of self-regard, talking for his own sake more than anyone else’s.2012 June 3, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Mr. Plow” (season 4, episode 9; originally aired 11/19/1992)”, in The A.V. Club:
4 more examples
- Do you live in a bubble? There exists a new upper class that's completely disconnected from the average white American and American culture at large, argues Charles Murray, a libertarian political scientist and author.2016 March 24, “Do you live in a bubble? A quiz”, in PBS News:
- Citizens of all political persuasions (not to mention members of the Trump administration) can increasingly live in their own news media bubbles, consuming only views similar to their own.2017 March 21, Michiko Kakutani, “‘The Death of Expertise’ Explores How Ignorance Became a Virtue”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
- Inside the right-wing Facebook bubble, President Trump’s response to Covid-19 has been strong and effective, Joe Biden is barely capable of forming sentences, and Black Lives Matter is a dangerous group of violent looters.2020 August 27, Kevin Roose, “What if Facebook Is the Real ‘Silent Majority’?”, in New York Times:
- "We know we're in a bubble," said one Villager interviewed for the film. "But it's a nice bubble".2022 February 6, Benedict Brook, “Dark side of paradise: 'Sinister' cracks show in perfect suburb”, in NZ Herald:
An officer's station in a prison dormitory, affording views on all sides.
- Later that day, the unit was staffed with only one officer, who was required to stay in the bubble.1998, District of Columbia Appropriations for 1998: Hearings:
Obsolete Someone who has been ‘bubbled’ or fooled; a dupe.
- Gany's a cheat, and I'm a bubble.1709, Matthew Prior, Cupid and Ganymede:
- For no woman, sure, will plead the passion of love for an excuse. This would be to own herself the mere tool and bubble of the man.1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society, published 1979, page 15:
A small, hollow, floating bead or globe, formerly used for testing the strength of spirits.
The globule of air in the chamber of a spirit level.
Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences Historical Any of the small magnetized areas that make up bubble memory.
Card games, Poker In a poker tournament, the point before which eliminated players receive no prize money and after which they do; the situation where all remaining players are guaranteed prize money (in this case, the players are said to have made the bubble); the situation where all remaining players will be guaranteed prize money after some small number of players are eliminated (in this case, the players are said to be on the bubble).
- Many players tend to play timidly (not play many hands) around the bubble, to keep their chips and last longer in the game.
Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports The cutoff point between qualifying, advancing or being invited to a tournament, or having one's competition end.
- bubble watch
A quarantine environment containing multiple people or facilities isolated from the rest of society.
Chiefly COVID-19 pandemic
- "There was an empty room and this is my house," Mark Philip told the Herald. "Where am I supposed to go? Whose bubble am I supposed to infect?"2020 April 7, “Covid 19 coronavirus: Police called after Mt Eden landlord tries to move into flat during lockdown”, in New Zealand Herald:
The people who are in this quarantine.
Abbreviation, Ellipsis Ellipsis of travel bubble.
Broadcasting, Media, Television Slang A bulb or lamp; the part of a lighting assembly that actually produces the light.
- A bare lamp (bulb, globe, 'bubble') radiates light in all directions.2013, Gerald Millerson, Lighting for TV and Film, page 296:
A specialized glass pipe having a sphere-shaped apparatus at one end.
Drug paraphernalia
- Derived terms
117 terms
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