blubber

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈblʌbə/ (General American, Northern Ireland, Scotland) IPA(key): /ˈblʌbəɹ/ (Ireland) IPA(key): /ˈblʊbəɹ/ (Northern England) IPA(key): /ˈblʊbə/ Rhymes: -ʌbə(ɹ) Hyphenation: blub‧ber === Etymology 1 === The verb is derived from Late Middle English bloberen, bluberen (“to bubble, seethe”); and the noun from Late Middle English blober, bluber (“bubble; bubbling water; foaming waves; fish or whale oil; entrails, intestines; (medicine) pustule”), both probably onomatopoeic, representing the movement or sound of a bubbling liquid, or the movement of lips forming bubbles (compare bleb and blob, thought to be similarly imitative). As both the verb and noun are attested in the 14th century, it is difficult to tell which one developed first; the Oxford English Dictionary suggests that the noun may be derived from the verb. Verb etymology 1 sense 1.2 (“to cause (one’s face) to disfigure or swell through crying”) is influenced by blubber (adjective). ==== Verb ==== blubber (third-person singular simple present blubbers, present participle blubbering, simple past and past participle blubbered) (transitive) Often followed by out: to cry out (words) while sobbing. (archaic, also figurative) To wet (one's eyes or face) by crying; to beweep; also, to cause (one's face) to disfigure or swell through crying. (obsolete) Often followed by forth: to let (one's tears) flow freely. (intransitive) (chiefly derogatory) To cry or weep freely and noisily; to sob. Synonyms: see Thesaurus:weep (obsolete) To bubble or bubble up; also, to make a bubbling sound like water boiling. ===== Usage notes ===== Etymology 1 sense 2.1 (“to cry or weep freely and noisily”) is generally used to suggest that a person is crying in an uncontrolled and embarrassing manner, and that the observer finds this unbecoming. ===== Conjugation ===== ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Noun ==== blubber (countable and uncountable, plural blubbers) (uncountable, countable) A fatty layer of adipose tissue found immediately beneath the epidermis of whales and other cetaceans (infraorder Cetacea). (uncountable) A fatty layer of adipose tissue found in other animals which keeps them warm, especially Arctic animals such as sea lions and Antarctic animals such as penguins. (uncountable, informal, chiefly derogatory and offensive) A person's fat tissue, usually when regarded as excessive and unsightly. (countable, by extension, archaic) A jellyfish (subphylum Medusozoa). (countable, chiefly derogatory) An act of crying or weeping freely and noisily. (countable, obsolete) A bubble. ===== Alternative forms ===== blobber (dated) ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Descendants ===== → German: Blubber ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === From blub +‎ -er (suffix forming agent nouns). ==== Noun ==== blubber (plural blubbers) One who blubs (“cries or weeps freely and noisily”); a blubberer. Synonym: sobber Hypernyms: crier, weeper ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 3 === A variant of blabber and blobber, probably influenced by blub and blubber (noun). ==== Adjective ==== blubber (not comparable) (archaic) Especially of lips: protruding, swollen. ===== Translations ===== === References === === Further reading === blubber on Wikipedia.Wikipedia Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “blubber”, in Online Etymology Dictionary. === Anagrams === bubbler == Dutch == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈblʏ.bər/ Hyphenation: blub‧ber Rhymes: -ʏbər === Etymology 1 === Borrowed from English blubber ==== Noun ==== blubber m (uncountable, no diminutive) mud, or anything of similar consistency and slipperiness blubber, fatty tissue ===== Derived terms ===== === Etymology 2 === See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form. ==== Verb ==== blubber inflection of blubberen: first-person singular present indicative (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative imperative == German == === Pronunciation === === Verb === blubber inflection of blubbern: first-person singular present singular imperative