cub

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noun \ ˈkəb \

Definition of cub

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

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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 of cub from the Web

Odds are good the cub will be doing something worth watching.

— karla peterson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "All together now: Awwwwww. An update on the confiscated tiger cub," 30 Aug. 2017
Under the bill, the National Park Service would be prevented from regulating the hunting of bears and wolves in Alaska wildlife preserves, including the practice of killing bear cubs in their dens.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Team Blocks Criticism of Bill Allowing Hunters to Massacre Bear Cubs," 23 Aug. 2017
Back in March, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau — master of the strategic photo op — stopped by the Toronto Zoo to unveil the names of two panda cubs.

— claire landsbaum, The Cut, "Someone Made a Butter Sculpture of Justin Trudeau Snuggling Pandas," 21 Aug. 2017
Beauregard Forrest is an affable, self-effacing, charmingly self-chastising cub reporter whose stories –

— dannye romine powell, charlotteobserver, "9 underrated Southern novels – and why you need to read them," 18 Aug. 2017
Shea was among those who fired at the third, a sow with two cubs and a ripped paw pad that would have been painful, possibly increasing its aggression.

— karin brulliard, idahostatesman, "50 years ago, fatal grizzly attacks in Montana changed human-wildlife interactions," 3 Aug. 2017
Cubs starting pitchers have posted a 2.53 ERA in their last 16 games.

— chicago tribune, chicagotribune.com, "Series preview: Diamondbacks at Cubs," 31 July 2017
Thanks to this technology, KopeLion knows the nursing lioness is Nosikitok, a big cat who gave birth to three cubs of her own in June.

— kelli bender, PEOPLE.com, "Are You My Momma? Lioness Photographed Nursing Leopard Cub in ‘Once-in-a-Lifetime Event’," 14 July 2017
Such mirth has not been seen since Mufasa and Sarabi themselves announced Simba to the Pride Lands, except this time there are not one, but two, new cubs babies.

— neha prakash, Glamour, "Beyoncé's Photo of Her Twins Sent the Beyhive Into a Frenzy," 14 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cub.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cub

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1530

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cub Synonyms

Synonyms

abecedarian, apprentice, babe, colt, beginner, fledgling, freshman, greenhorn, neophyte, newbie, newcomer, novice, novitiate, punk, recruit, rook, rookie, tenderfoot, tyro, virgin

Antonyms

old hand, old-timer, vet, veteran

Related Words

boot; amateur, dabbler, dilettante; learner, student, trainee; candidate, entrant, probationer

Near Antonyms

expert, master, pro, professional

CUB Defined for English Language Learners

cub

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noun

Definition of cub for English Language Learners

: a young animal that eats meat

CUB Defined for Kids

cub

play

noun \ ˈkəb \

Definition of cub for Students

1 :the young of various animals (as the bear, fox, or lion)

2 :cub scout

Learn More about cub

See words that rhyme with cub Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cub Spanish Central: Translation of cub Nglish: Translation of cub for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cub for Arabic speakers

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