Dictionary

hubbub en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• (General-American) audio
• /ˈhʌbʌb/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

In early use, the noun is often mentioned as a cry by Irish people, and so is possibly borrowed from Irish; compare Irish ababú, abú (“used as a battle cry”), and Scottish Gaelic ub, ub, ubub (“used to express contempt, etc.”), ubh ubh (“used to express disgust”). The verb is derived from the noun.

Meanings

1. (countable) A confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously; an uproar.
   • [T]he mighty Amsterdam, […] its Exchange resounding with the endless hubbub of all the languages spoken by civilised men. 1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter IX, in The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume II, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC, page 415:
   • They heard a noyſe of many bagpipes ſhrill, / And ſhrieking Hububs them approching nere, / VVhich all the foreſt did vvith horrour fill: […] 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 43, page 554:
   • At length a univerſal hubbub vvilde / Of ſtunning ſounds and voices all confus'd, / Born [borne] through the hollovv dark aſſaults his eare / VVith loudeſt vehemence: […] 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC, signature H, recto, lines 951–954:
   • And had not the old-man come in vvith a VVhoo-bub againſt his Daughter, and the Kings Sonne, and ſcar'd my Chovvghes from the Chaffe, I had not left a Purſe aliue in the vvhole Army. c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv], page 296, column 2:
2. (broadly, uncountable) Noisy confusion; commotion, uproar; (countable) an instance of this; an ado, a commotion.
   • [page 123] [E]ven as they entred into the fair, all the people in the fair vvere moved, and the Tovvn it ſelf as it vvere in a Hubbub about them; […] [page 127] Then vvere theſe tvvo poor men brought before their Examiners again, and there charged as being guilty of the late Hubbub that had been in the fair. 1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC, pages 123 and 127:
   • A scene of uproar and hubbub ensued that defies description. 1836 October, Washington Irving, chapter XIX, in Astoria, or Anecdotes of an Enterprise beyond the Rocky Mountains. […], volume I, Philadelphia, Pa.: [Henry Charles] Carey, [Isaac] Lea, & Blanchard, →OCLC, page 205:
   • What's all the hubbub, bub? 1943 October 30, Warren Foster, Falling Hare (Merrie Melodies; 3), spoken by Bugs Bunny (Mel Blanc), Burbank, Calif.: Warner Bros. Pictures, →OCLC:
   • The place will be in a fine hubbub, I suppose. 1874, [Mary Elizabeth Braddon], “Father and Daughter”, in Taken at the Flood […], volume I, London: John Maxwell and Co. […], →OCLC, page 15:
   • [T]hey asked the reaſon of the hubbub, and tumult. And vvith that every man began to tell his ovvn tale, ſo that nothing could be heard diſtinctly: […] 1682, John Bunyan, “[Men of Arms Come Down]”, in The Holy War, Made by Shaddai upon Diabolus, for the Regaining of the Metropolis of the World. […], London: […] Dorman Newman […]; and Benjamin Alsop […], →OCLC, page 90:
   • The vvindovves clattring / And all the Chambermaides in ſuch a vvhobub, / One vvith her ſmocke halfe off, another in haſt / VVith a ſervingmans hoſe upon her head. 1610–1616 (date written), Iohn [i.e., John] Fletcher, Monsieur Thomas. A Comedy. […], London: […] Thomas Harper, for Iohn Waterson, […], published 1639, →OCLC, Act IV, scene ii, signature [H6], verso:
3. (countable, obsolete) A sound of people making a battle cry or war cry.

Forms

Relateds

hubbaboo · hubbuboo

Synonyms

bobbery · splatterdash · bunfight · tomfoolery · to-do · disturbance · hubbuboo · turmoil · tumult · bustle · fracas · rowdydow · outcry · pandemonium · palaver · riot · stir · bangarang · hubbub · hubbuboo · pother · argy-bargy · brouhaha · three-ring circus · unrest · trouble · fuss · foofaraw · hubbuboo · bust-up · clatter · ado · mayhem · tumult · shemozzle · racket · hue and cry · quarrel · disruption · flap · ferment · hoo-hah · commotion · upstir · ruckus · shindy · uproar · stooshie · rumpus · furor · clamour · kerfuffle · hoo-ha · chaos · hobbleshaw · hurly-burly · tumult · hullabaloo · flutter · merry hell

Translations (65)

de Trubel (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · pl zgiełk (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · ar جَلَبَة (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · ota خلاش (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · mi whakatioro (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · cmn 塵囂 /尘嚣 (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · cs povyk (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · ru гам (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · ca aldarull (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · ja 喧々囂々 (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · de Tumult (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · ca brogit (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · pl tumult (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · hi हुड़दंग (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · it brusio (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · el φασαρία (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · fr tohu-bohu (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · mi tararau (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · ar صَخَب (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · ca avalot (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · fi hälinä (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · ckb ھەرا (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · cs pozdvižení (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · de Tohuwabohu (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · mi rarī (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · ru переполо́х (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · de Stimmengewirr (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · pdt Klommua (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · pl harmider (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · fi kohina (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · eu zalaparta (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · tr velvele (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · cmn 喧嘩 (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · ar ضَجِيج (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · ja 猥雑 (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · ja 騒ぎ (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · sv ståhej (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · ca cridòria (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · ca gatzara (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · tr karmaşa (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · pdt Jeläw (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · ka გნიასი (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · de Wirrwarr (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · mt għagħa (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · tr patırtı (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · ar ضَوْضَاء (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · cs hluk (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · bg глъчка (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · ca rebombori (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · pl gwar (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · pl wrzawa (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · bg врява (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · mi hū (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · fa هیاهو (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · tr curcuna (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · pl zamieszanie (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · ar ضَجَّة (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · fi mekkala (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · fr brouhaha (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · ka ყაყანი (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · mk џагор (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · cmn 吵鬧 /吵闹 (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · pt comoção (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · hu lárma (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · de Durcheinander (confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously)

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hubbub en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• (General-American) audio
• /ˈhʌbʌb/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

In early use, the noun is often mentioned as a cry by Irish people, and so is possibly borrowed from Irish; compare Irish ababú, abú (“used as a battle cry”), and Scottish Gaelic ub, ub, ubub (“used to express contempt, etc.”), ubh ubh (“used to express disgust”). The verb is derived from the noun.

Meanings

1. (intransitive, rare) To make a confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously; to cause a racket or tumult.
   • Then, what wretched writing?—"Poured upon the plain,"—"scatter o'er the fields,"—"whitens all the skies,"—"brighten all the fields,"—"flame the skies,"—and "laugh the fields," all huddled and hubbubbed together into one chaotic sentence. 1831 December, [John Wilson], “[William] Sotheby’s Homer. Critique IV. Achilles. Part I.”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume XXXI, number CLXXXVIII, Edinburgh: [Ballantyne and Co. for] William Blackwood, […]; London: T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC, page 881, column 1:
   • It becomes a grotto, hubbubbing with more noise than any class on a school visit could make, the air mobbed by breathless chatter about life and the transfer window. 2016, Daniel Gray, Saturday, 3pm: 50 Eternal Delights of Modern Football, London: Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN:

Forms

Translations (3)

fi hälistä (to make a confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · fi kohista (to make a confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously) · fr boucan (to make a confused sound of a crowd of people shouting or speaking simultaneously)

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hubbub en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• (General-American) audio
• /ˈhʌbʌb/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Used by New England colonists (17th–18th century) to imitate the sounds hub, hub, hub cried by the players: see the 1634 quotation.

Meanings

1. (US, historical, uncountable) Synonym of bowl game (“a Native American game of chance involving the throwing of colored nuts from a bowl, comparable to dice”).
   • They have tvvo ſorts of games, one called Puim, the other Hubbub, not much unlike Cards and Dice, being no other than Lotterie. […] Hubbub is five ſmall Bones in a ſmall ſmooth Tray, the bones bee like a Die, but ſomething flatter, blacke on one ſide and vvhite on the other, vvhich they place on the ground, againſt vvhich violently thumping the platter, the bones mount changing colours vvith the vvindy vvhisking of their hands too and fro; vvhich action in that ſport they much uſe, ſmiting themſelves on the breaſt, and thighs, crying out, Hub, Hub, Hub; they may be heard play at this game a quarter of a mile off. The bones being all blacke or vvhite, make a double game; if three be of a colour and tvvo of another, then they affoard but a ſingle game; […] 1634, William Wood, “Their Games and Sports of Activitie”, in New Englands Prospect. A True, Lively, and Experimentall Description of that Part of America, Commonly Called New England; […], London: […] Tho[mas] Cotes, for Iohn Bellamie, […], →OCLC, 2nd part (Of the Indians, […]), pages 85–86:

Synonyms

bowl game

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