noun
bubble
BUHB-l
noun
1
A thin, round pocket of air or gas inside a liquid or solid, or floating freely.
"The children chased bubbles across the garden."
"Bubbles rose steadily from the bottom of the fish tank."
2
An unsustainable rise in prices or popularity, particularly in markets, followed by a sharp collapse.
"Analysts warned the housing bubble would eventually burst."
"The dot-com bubble wiped out billions in investor wealth."
verb
1
To form or produce bubbles.
"The soup began to bubble gently on the stove."
"Champagne bubbled over the rim of the glass."
How to Use Bubble
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small pocket of gas in liquid, or by extension, something inflated and fragile — like an overheated market.
Common mistake
In the economic sense, a "bubble" specifically implies unsustainable growth followed by collapse, not just any price rise.
Common pairings
blow bubbles
housing bubble
burst the bubble
bubble bath
Word Forms
bubbled past tense, bubbles singular
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Etymology
Likely imitative of the sound bubbles make, related to "burble." The financial sense dates to the 1720 collapse of the South Sea Company, compared to an inflated soap bubble bursting.