bub
bub Lexical Profile
bub Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American An informal, often brusque or mildly confrontational form of address for a man or boy.
"Hold on a minute, bub, you need to wait your turn in line like everyone else."
Australian An affectionate, informal term for a baby or very young child.
"She brought the new bub into the office so all her colleagues could meet him."
An informal term for champagne or sparkling wine.
"We popped open a bottle of chilled bub to toast the team's championship victory."
Word Nuance & Usage
In North American usage, 'bub' is almost exclusively used as a direct form of address (vocative) for a man or boy, often carrying a mildly confrontational, impatient, or dismissive tone. In Australian and New Zealand English, however, it is a standard, affectionate everyday noun referring to a baby.
• Rhymes for bub
Word Origin & Etymology
Dating back to the mid-19th century in American English, 'bub' originated as a childish corruption of 'brother' (paralleling 'sis' for 'sister'); the Australian sense meaning 'baby' is a shortening of 'bubby'.