bubble

A small round pocket of air or gas in liquid, sometimes floating with a thin liquid covering.

• A bubble floated past me.
• The children blew bubbles in the garden.
• Tiny bubbles rose to the surface of the water.

Similar words: bull

Common phrases: soap bubble, air bubble, blow a bubble

A small round space inside a solid material.

• There is a bubble in the glass.
• Air bubbles weakened the plastic part.
• The jeweller spotted tiny bubbles inside the stone.

How to use it: a bubble in something (A bubble in the lens distorted the image.)

Similar words: cavity, void

Common phrases: bubble in something, glass bubble, trapped bubble

A laugh, especially in a question suggesting that someone is joking or being unreasonable.

• Are you having a bubble?
• You must be having a bubble if you expect me to pay that.
• He asked if she was having a bubble when she named her price.

Similar words: laugh

Common phrases: have a bubble, having a bubble

To form small pockets of gas, or make a liquid rise and move as gas passes through it.

• The water began to bubble.
• Soup bubbled gently on the stove.
• Gas bubbles up through the warm liquid.

Similar words: fizz

Common phrases: bubble gently, bubble away, bubble up, bubble on something

To develop strongly inside someone or something, often becoming noticeable.

• Excitement began to bubble inside her.
• Old resentment bubbled up during the argument.
• New ideas were bubbling beneath the surface.

How to use it: bubble up (Anger bubbled up as he read the letter.); bubble with something (The children were bubbling with excitement.)

Similar words: well up, stir

Common phrases: bubble up, bubble with excitement, bubble beneath something