Main Entry:

¹bub·ble

Pronunciation:

\ˈbə-bəl\

Function:

noun

Usage:

often attributive

Etymology:

Middle English bobel

Date:

14th century

1: a small globule typically hollow and light: as a: a small body of gas within a liquid b: a thin film of liquid inflated with air or gas c: a globule in a transparent solid d: something (as a plastic or inflatable structure) that is hemispherical or semicylindrical 2 a: something that lacks firmness, solidity, or reality b: a delusive scheme3: a sound like that of bubbling4: magnetic bubble5: a state of booming economic activity (as in a stock market) that often ends in a sudden collapse6: the condition of being at risk of exclusion or replacement (as from a tournament) —usually used in the phrase on the bubble<teams still on the bubble for the play-offs>