Tub
/tʌb/noun
A short, open container used for holding liquids or bathing.
Did you know?English tub comes from a Germanic word family for a hollow container, and it is distantly related to words like dab and dub through ancient Indo-European sound history—not magic, but a reminder that everyday words can descend from very old roots.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*tubō / *tubbō
“a tub, vat, or hollow wooden vessel”
Old English
OE
tub
“a tub or vat”
Middle English
ME
tubbe
“a tub, bucket, or open vessel”
Modern English
English
tub
“an open, deep container, often of wood, metal, or plastic”