1
a
: a young carnivorous mammal (such as a bear, fox, or lion)
b
: a young shark
2
: a young person
3
: apprentice
especially : an inexperienced newspaper reporter

Examples of cub in a Sentence

the kind of big story that can propel a cub reporter into the stratosphere of the newspaper world assigned to teach a bunch of young cubs how to play baseball
Recent Examples on the Web At the zoo, these cubs join the Cat Ambassador Program and are hand-raised by keepers. Bebe Hodges, The Enquirer, 26 Oct. 2024 The 400-pound female bear birthed 18 cubs since 2004, eight surviving to adulthood. Alice Jones Webb, Outdoor Life, 24 Oct. 2024 Pom moved on to his next conquest: a mother and cub who evaded him by scaling a tree. Stephanie Vermillion, USA TODAY, 19 Oct. 2024 Zoo: Voters were tasked with choosing the name of the first tiger cub born at the Louisville Zoo in 20 years. Ray Padilla, The Courier-Journal, 14 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cub 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cub.' 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

probably akin to Middle English cobbe leader of a group, head — more at cob

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of cub was in 1530

Dictionary Entries Near cub

Cite this Entry

“Cub.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cub. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

cub

noun
1
a
: a young flesh-eating mammal (as a bear, fox, or lion)
b
: a young shark
2
: a young person
3
: a person just learning a job : apprentice
a cub reporter
a cub pilot
4

More from Merriam-Webster on cub

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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