bubbler
bubbler Lexical Profile
bubbler Game Scores & Validity
• noun
American A public drinking fountain that projects a small, continuous stream or arc of water upward for drinking (used chiefly in Wisconsin, Rhode Island, eastern Massachusetts, and Australia).
"After running laps in the school gymnasium, the students lined up at the hallway bubbler to get a drink of cold water."
A mechanical device, aerator, or laboratory apparatus that introduces gas bubbles into a liquid, such as an aquarium air stone or a gas-washing bottle.
"The aquarium's corner bubbler kept the water well oxygenated for the tropical fish."
American The freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens), a North American fish known for the grunting or bubbling sound produced by its swim bladder.
"Anglers along the Mississippi River often catch the freshwater drum, locally known as a bubbler for the resonant sounds it makes."
Word Nuance & Usage
In the sense of a drinking fountain, "bubbler" is a well-known regionalism used primarily in Wisconsin, Rhode Island, eastern Massachusetts, and parts of Australia.
• Rhymes for bubbler
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in English from "bubble" + "-er". The regional sense meaning "drinking fountain" originated as a trademarked name for a vertical-spout water fountain valve patented by the Kohler Water Works company in Wisconsin in the late 19th century.