Also 5–8 buble, 6 bobyll. [Found (in the vbl. sb. BUBBLING) a. 1400. Parallel words are Sw. bubla, Da. boble, mod.Du. and LG. bobbelen, mod.G. dial. bobbelen, bubbelen; all of these are modern, and it is doubtful how far they are related to each other, or are merely parallel imitative words, suggested either by the sound of bubbles forming and bursting, or by the action of the lips in making a bubble. The Eng. bubble can hardly be separated from the earlier BURBLE, common in the same sense from 1300; cf. gurgle and guggle. In bubble the verb is the source of the sb. as a whole, but sense 5 of the vb. appears to be derived from sense 3 of the sb., and in turn to have given rise to sense 5 of the latter.]
1. intr. To form bubbles (as boiling water, a running stream, etc.); to rise in bubbles (as gas through liquid, water from a spring, etc.; often with out or up); to emit the sounds due to the formation and bursting of bubbles.
1398. [see BUBBLING vbl. sb.].
1477. Norton, Ord. Alch., in Ashm. iv. (1652), 47. Remember that Water will buble and boyle.
1530. Palsgr., 459/1. The potage begynneth to bobyll.
1580. H. Gifford, Gilloflowers (1875), 10. I … feele certayne waters of vayne appetites to bubble vp wt in me.
1609. Bible (Douay), Ex. viii. 3. The river shal bubble with frogges.
1633. P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., III. xx. Water, bubbling from this fountain.
1703. Maundrell, Journ. Jerus. (1732), 63. Then bubbles up with abundance of Water.
c. 1750. Shenstone, Elegy, i. 4. Now hear the fountain bubbling round my cell.
1799. G. Smith, Laboratory, I. 329. Take good acid of nitre, and fling … chalk into it, till it … ceases to bubble.
1824–9. Landor, Imag. Conv. (1846), I. 3. Many bright specks bubble up along the blue Egean.
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., xcix. Yon swoll’n brook that bubbles fast.
1860. Gen. P. Thompson, Audi Alt., III. ci. 1. The frozen notes came bubbling out together.
1871. Tyndall, Fragm. Sc., I. iv. 97.
2. fig. a. Of things: To arise or issue like bubbles.
1652. Gaule, Magastrom., 228. Whence then bubble out so many and so great errors in their prognostications?
1713. Beveridge, Priv. Th., I. (1730), 94. So soon as any new Thought begins to bubble in my Soul.
1852. Kingsley, Androm., 114. Feebly at last she began, while wild thoughts bubbled within her.
a. 1859. L. Hunt, To J. H., ii. It bubbles into laughter.
1879. McCarthy, Own Times, II. 16. Chartism bubbled and sputtered a little yet.
b. Of persons: To bubble over, up (with merriment, anger, etc.): fig. from the bubbling of a pot on the fire.
1858. Hawthorne, Fr. & It. Jrnls. (1872), II. 173. He bubbled and brimmed over with fun.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. § 19. 133. One clergyman … appeared to bubble over with enjoyment.
1881. Mary A. Lewis, Two Pretty Girls, III. 97. He had his views on most matters, but he never bubbled up to discuss and defend them, as did his wife.
c. trans. To send forth like bubbles. (A Hebraism.)
1611. Bible, Prov. xv. 2. The mouth of the fool poureth [marg. bubbleth] out foolishness. Ibid., Ps. xlv. 1. My heart is inditing [marg. boyleth or bubbleth vp] a good matter.
3. intr. To make a sound resembling that made by bubbles in boiling or running water. Also trans. (with object denoting sound). rare.
1602. Metamorph. of Tabacco (Collier), 19. Pretie waues … Bubbled sweete Musicke with a daintie sound.
1842. Sterling, Ess. & Tales (1848), I. 459. Love, the name bubbled by every wave of Hippocrene.
1847. Tennyson, Princess, IV. 247. At mine ears Bubbled the nightingale.
4. trans. To cover or spread with bubbles.
1598. Marston, Pigmal., IV. 151. The haile-shot drops … onely bubble quiet Thetis face.
5. trans. To delude with ‘bubbles’ (see BUBBLE sb. 3); to befool, cheat, humbug. Also to bubble (any one) of, out of, or into a thing. Very common in 18th c.; now rarely used.
1675. Wycherley, Countr. Wife, III. ii. He is to be bubbled of his mistress as of his money.
1702. The Eng. Theophrast., 37. Men are commonly bubbled when they first enter upon play.
1761. Murphy, Citizen, II. i. And so here I am bubbled and choused out of my money.
1792. Mary Wollstonecr., Rights Wom., Introd. 2. The understanding of the sex has been so bubbled by this specious homage.
1841. Hor. Smith, Moneyed Man, I. xi. 312. You have been preciously bubbled; ludicrously swindled and outwitted.
1880. McCarthy, Own Times, III. xli. 235. Some critics declared … that the French Emperor had ‘bubbled’ him [Mr. Cobden].
6. Sc. and north. dial. To blubber.
1727. P. Walker, Life Peden, Biog. Presbyt. (1827), I. 211 (Jam.). John Knox … left her [Q. Mary] bubbling and greeting.
Mod. Sc. What is he bubbling about now?
