blubber - definition, synonyms and pronunciation

Open English WordNet

cry or whine with snuffling“Stop snivelling — you got yourself into this mess!”Synonyms: snivel sniffle blub snuffleMore general cry, weep
utter while cryingSynonyms: blubber outMore general talk, speak

an insulating layer of fat under the skin of whales and other large marine mammals; used as a source of oilType of animal oil
excess bodily weight“she disliked fatness in herself as well as in others”Synonyms: fatness fat avoirdupoisType of bodily propertyKinds steatopygia, fleshiness, abdominousness, greasiness, adiposity

Word of the day · Nov 9About this word

What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz

Blub′ber (…), noun

Origin: See Blobber, Blob, Bleb.

1. A bubble.

At his mouth a blubber stood of foam.— Robert Henryson

2. The fat of whales and other large sea animals from which oil is obtained. It lies immediately under the skin and over the muscular flesh.

3. Zoology A large sea nettle or medusa.

Blub′ber intransitive verb [past tense & past participle Blubbered (…); present participle & verbal noun Blubbering.]

To weep noisily, or so as to disfigure the face; to cry in a childish manner.

She wept, she blubbered, and she tore her hair.— Jonathan Swift

Blub′ber transitive verb

1. To swell or disfigure (the face) with weeping; to wet with tears.

Dear Cloe, how blubbered is that pretty face!— Matthew Prior

2. To give vent to (tears) or utter (broken words or cries); — with forth or out.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54