Noun

1. A spherically contained volume of air, especially one made from soapy liquid.
2. A small spherical cavity in a solid material.
3. Anything resembling a hollow sphere.
4. A period of intense speculation in a market, causing prices to rise quickly to irrational levels as the metaphorical bubble expands, and then fall even more quickly as the bubble bursts.
5. Someone who has been ‘bubbled’ or fooled; a dupe.
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society 1979, p. 15:

     For no woman, sure, will plead the passion of love for an excuse. This would be to own herself the mere tool and bubble of the man.

Related terms

• bubbly
• bubble bath
• bubble blower
• bubble chamber
• bubble era
• bubble gum
• bubble jet printer
• bubble wrap

• bubble and squeak
• housing bubble
• land bubble
• stock bubble
• on the bubble
• bubble team
• boy in the bubble

Verb

1. To produce bubbles, to rise up in bubbles (such in foods cooking).
2. To cheat, delude.
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society 1973, p. 443:

     No, no, friend, I shall never be bubbled out of my religion in hopes only of keeping my place under another government [...]

3. To cry, weep.