blubber

1 of 2

verb

blub·​ber ˈblə-bər How to pronounce blubber (audio)
blubbered; blubbering ˈblə-b(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce blubber (audio)

intransitive verb

: to weep noisily

transitive verb

1
: to swell, distort, or wet with weeping
2
: to utter while weeping

blubber

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: the fat of whales and other large marine mammals
b
: excessive fat on the body
2
: the action of blubbering

Examples of blubber in a Sentence

Verb Oh, stop blubbering, you big baby! the poor child was blubbering because he had fallen and skinned his knee
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
And then raised the teacup to my lips to keep from blubbering. Alice McDermott, Harper's Magazine, 11 Sep. 2023 Stepping into the impossible shoes of Crispin Glover, Cole’s rubber-limbed George McFly has all the grace of a newborn foal, with a piercing chuckle that borders on blubbering. Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 4 Aug. 2023
Noun
This was a revival of an older recipe, we were told, but the chicken was a blob of blubber with the consistency of paper. Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2024 Bowhead whales have been found with historical whaling harpoons embedded in their blubber, indicating that some individuals were alive during the 19th century. Scott Travers, Forbes, 22 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for blubber 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blubber.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English blubren to make a bubbling sound, from bluber

Noun

Middle English bluber bubble, foam, probably of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of blubber was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near blubber

Cite this Entry

“Blubber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blubber. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

blubber

1 of 2 noun
blub·​ber ˈbləb-ər How to pronounce blubber (audio)
1
: the fat of whales and other large sea mammals
2
: the action of blubbering

blubber

2 of 2 verb
blubbered; blubbering
-(ə-)riŋ
1
: to weep noisily
2
: to talk and weep at the same time

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