bub

• (UK) IPA^(key): /bʌb/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌb

Probably imitative of the sound of drinking.

bub (uncountable)

1. (slang, historical) An alcoholic malt liquor, especially beer.
   • 1838, Samuel Morewood, A Philosophical and Statistical History of the Inventions and Customs of Ancient and Modern Nations in the Manufacture and Use of Inebriating Liquors, page 662,

     Bub is made from ground barley and strong worts, and sometimes from strong small worts from the coolers, properly blended and boiled with some hops, in the proportion of one pound to a barrel of worts.

Contraction of bubby.

bub (plural bubs)

1. A woman's breast.
   • 1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance, Penguin 2004 (Avignon Quintet), p. 631:

     ‘Mr. Blanford, I esteem that there is nothing more sublime in nature than a glimpse of an English lady's bubs.’

Either a corruption of brother, a modification of bud, or a borrowing from Pennsylvania German Bub or Southern German Bub (as was spoken in various communities in America before the early 20th century), ultimately thought to be derived from Proto-Germanic *bō- (“close [male] relation”) and thus cognate to English boy and babe. (Perhaps the term is a confluence of several of these.)

bub (plural bubs)

1. A term of familiar address; bubba; bubby.
   • 1857, T. B. Aldrich, What Jedd Pallfry found in the Coffin, The Knickerbocker, Volume 49, page 23,

     So he changed his brusque manner, and inquired, in a tone which was intended to be extremely conciliatory :

     ‘ What′s your name, bub ? ’

     ‘ The last one, Sir ? ’ asked bub, looking up.

   • 1857, Clara Augusta, Mrs. Peter Dame, George R. Graham, Graham′s Illustrated Magazine, Volume 50, page 398,

     Mrs. Peter filled her pocket with the cherries — “ Victoria and bub are so fond of them!” and we scrambled into the wagon.

2. A young brother; a little boy; a familiar term of address for a small boy.

bub (plural bubs)

1. (Australia, slang) A baby.

Shortened from bubble and bubbly.

bub (plural bubs)

1. Abbreviation of bubble.
2. (slang) champagne; bubbly.
   • 2003, 50 Cent, "In da Club":

     "You find me in da club, bottle full of bub"

bub (third-person singular simple present bubs, present participle bubbing, simple past and past participle bubbed)

1. (obsolete) To throw out in bubbles; to bubble.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Sackville to this entry?)

bub

1. chest

bub

1. trap (usually for fish)

• IPA^(key): [bub]

bub (plural bubs)

1. (male or female) bovine (animal), bull, cow

• jixol (dated)
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• smaxol (dated)
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