Bubbles

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Tiny spheres of gas trapped in a liquid or solid ; a light, often inflated object used for play or decoration ; a thing or situation that is temporary and likely to disappear quickly
2. Small round pockets of air appearing inside fluids or solids ; an object filled with air that is light enough to float or bounce ; an unstable or passing condition prone to collapse
3. Circular pockets of gas within liquids or solids ; a lightweight item filled with air, commonly used as a toy or ornament ; an ephemeral phenomenon that exists only briefly before fading away

Etymology: "Bubbles" is simply the plural of "bubble," so the history belongs to the singular. The noun's origin is partly imitative, meaning its sound echoes what it describes, and it is linked to the burble family of words, which likewise suggest the gurgling of liquid. Its relatives appear across the North Sea and Baltic languages: Middle Dutch "bobbe," modern Dutch "bubbel," Low German "bubbel," Danish "boble," and Swedish "bubbla" all mean the same thing. The most striking shift came in 1720. When the South Sea Company collapsed, people began using "bubble" for an overinflated financial scheme that would burst, borrowing the picture of a soap bubble swelling and then popping. That economic sense is the earliest recorded use in this metaphorical direction, and it is why we still speak of market bubbles today.

Synonyms: spheres, globules, blisters