BLUBBER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does blubber mean? 

• BLUBBER (noun)
  The noun BLUBBER has 2 senses:

1. an insulating layer of fat under the skin of whales and other large marine mammals; used as a source of oil

2. excess bodily weight

  Familiarity information: BLUBBER used as a noun is rare.

• BLUBBER (verb)
  The verb BLUBBER has 2 senses:

1. cry or whine with snuffling

2. utter while crying

  Familiarity information: BLUBBER used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BLUBBER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An insulating layer of fat under the skin of whales and other large marine mammals; used as a source of oil

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("blubber" is a kind of...):

animal oil (any oil obtained from animal substances)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Excess bodily weight

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

avoirdupois; blubber; fat; fatness

Context example:

she disliked fatness in herself as well as in others

Hypernyms ("blubber" is a kind of...):

bodily property (an attribute of the body)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "blubber"):

adiposeness; adiposity; fattiness (having the property of containing fat)

abdominousness; paunchiness (the bodily property of a protruding belly)

greasiness; oiliness; oleaginousness (consisting of or covered with oil)

corpulency; fleshiness; obesity (more than average fatness)

steatopygia (an extreme accumulation of fat on the buttocks)

Derivation:

blubbery (swollen with fat)

• BLUBBER (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they blubber    ... he / she / it blubbers   
Past simple: blubbered   
Past participle: blubbered   
-ing form: blubbering   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cry or whine with snuffling

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

blub; blubber; sniffle; snivel; snuffle

Context example:

Stop snivelling--you got yourself into this mess!

Hypernyms (to "blubber" is one way to...):

cry; weep (shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue blubber

Derivation:

blubberer (someone who sniffles and weeps with loud sobs)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Utter while crying

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

blubber; blubber out

Hypernyms (to "blubber" is one way to...):

mouth; speak; talk; utter; verbalise; verbalize (express in speech)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

 Context examples 

So, he said, one takes a small chunk of blubber, thus, and thus makes it hollow.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

It would not require a Sherlock Holmes to deduce that you have been cooking over a camp-fire, to say nothing of trying out seal-blubber.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Many times we were up to our waists in the slime and blubber of an old, semi-tropical swamp.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Master Micawber, whose disposition appeared to have been soured by early disappointment, and whose aspect had become morose, yielded to his better feelings, and blubbered.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I heard him in a blubbering tone commence the tale of how "that nasty Jane Eyre" had flown at him like a mad cat: he was stopped rather harshly—Don't talk to me about her, John: I told you not to go near her; she is not worthy of notice; I do not choose that either you or your sisters should associate with her.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Then into the hollow goes the whalebone, so, tightly coiled, and another piece of blubber is fitted over the whale-bone.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

And then, while I worked at building the hut, Maud tried out the oil from the blubber and kept a slow fire under the frames of meat.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

He picked up a piece of blubber.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

The bear swallows the little round ball, the blubber melts, the whalebone with its sharp ends stands out straight, the bear gets sick, and when the bear is very sick, why, you kill him with a spear.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)