tub

American  

[tuhb] / tʌb /

noun

1. a bathtub.

2. a broad, round, open, wooden container, usually made of staves held together by hoops and fitted around a flat bottom.

3. any of various containers resembling or suggesting a tub.

   a tub for washing clothes.

4. the amount a tub will hold.

5. Informal. a short and fat person.

6. Nautical. an old, slow, or clumsy vessel.

7. British Informal. a bath in a bathtub.

8. Mining. an ore car; tram.

9. Military Slang. a two-seat aircraft, especially a trainer.

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verb (used with object)

tubbed, tubbing

1. to place or keep in a tub.

2. British Informal. to bathe in a bathtub.

verb (used without object)

tubbed, tubbing

1. British Informal. to bathe oneself in a bathtub.

2. Informal. to undergo washing, especially without damage, as a fabric.

   This cotton print tubs well.

tub British  

/ tʌb /

noun

1. a low wide open container, typically round, originally one made of wood and used esp for washing: now made of wood, plastic, metal, etc, and used in a variety of domestic and industrial situations

2. a small plastic or cardboard container of similar shape for ice cream, margarine, etc

3. Also called: bathtub.  another word (esp US and Canadian) for bath 1

4. Also called: tubful.  the amount a tub will hold

5. a clumsy slow boat or ship

6. informal (in rowing) a heavy wide boat used for training novice oarsmen

7. Also called: tram.   hutch. 

   1. a small vehicle on rails for carrying loads in a mine

   2. a container for lifting coal or ore up a mine shaft; skip

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verb

1. informal to wash (oneself or another) in a tub

2. (tr) to keep or put in a tub

Other Word Forms

• tubbable adjective
• tubber noun
• tublike adjective
• undertub noun
• untubbed adjective

Etymology

Origin of tub

1350–1400; Middle English tubbe (noun) < Middle Dutch tobbe; cognate with Middle Low German tubbe, tobbe

Example Sentences

Our suite had a massive bathroom with a soaking tub and separate shower, and the property also has multiple restaurants and a full-service spa.

From Salon

I plant my feet far apart, knees bent, and stand like a ninja trying to hold my balance between the three cans of paint we just bought and Dad’s Rubbermaid tub of painting supplies.

From Literature

Little Two whispered something in his ear, and Nine replied, “In the cracked tub by the tires. Get Four Thousand and Six to help you. Remind him he owes me for he-knows-what.”

From Literature

To help Shields recover from intense workouts, the primary suite has a sauna, steam room and hot tub.

From The Wall Street Journal

Trading hot tub confessionals for courtrooms, Duffy became a Wisconsin district attorney and then a congressman.

From Los Angeles Times