Blubber
/ˈblʌb.ər/noun
Fatty tissue under the skin of marine mammals, or thick, watery tears and mucus.
Did you know?The word likely began as an imitative or expressive form for swollen, trembling flesh or bubbling moisture, and by the 14th century it was already tied to tears and mucus before later becoming the name for whale fat.
Etymological Timeline
Middle English
English
bluberen / blubberen
“To bubble, swell, or weep noisily”
14th Century
English
blubber
“Tears, mucus, or a swollen, puffy state”
17th Century
English
blubber
“A whale or seal’s layer of fatty tissue”
Modern English
English
blubber
“Fatty marine animal tissue; also to cry noisily”