cubn.1
/kʌb/, U.S. /kəb/ 1. originally. A young fox.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Canidae > [noun] > genus Vulpes > vulpes vulpes (fox) > young
fox-whelpc1320
cub1530
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 211/1 Cubbe, a yong foxe.
1552 R. Huloet Abcedarium Anglico Latinum Cubbe or yonge ffoxe, vulpecula.
1575 G. Gascoigne Noble Arte Venerie lxv. 181 When you haue taken the old Foxes or Badgerdes, and that there is nothing left in the earth but the yong Cubbes.
1648 Hunting of Fox 13 His skin..when he is a young Cubbe is usually of a darker colour.
1880 Times 2 Nov. 4/6 No cub is he, but a full-brushed, high conditioned, dog-fox.
2.
a. By extension: The young of the bear and of other wild beasts; also of the whale.For the young of the bear, lion, etc. the earlier word was whelp, as in all versions of the Bible from Wyclif to 1611.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > family unit > [noun] > offspring or young > of wild animals
whelpc825
cub1600
the world > animals > mammals > order Cetacea (whales) > [noun] > large member of (whale) > young
suckerc1384
calfa1398
cub1600
short-head1726
stunt1726
calf-whale1829
whale-calf1867
whale-cub1885
the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Ursidae (bear) > [noun] > young
bear cub?c1225
berling1399
cub1600
whelp1677
1600 W. Shakespeare Merchant of Venice ii. i. 29 Pluck the young sucking Cubs from the she Beare. View more context for this quotation
1645 E. Waller Wks. 54 Two mighty Whales..One as a mountaine vast, and with her came A Cub.
1684 Bp. G. Burnet tr. T. More Utopia 13 The old Crow loves his Young, and the Ape his Cubs.
1774 O. Goldsmith Hist. Earth II. 334 The lion, or tyger, have seldom above two cubs at a litter.
1823 W. Scoresby Jrnl. Voy. Northern Whale-fishery 148 The smallest animals [whales] of the species, mere cubs or ‘suckers’.
1829 W. Scott Anne of Geierstein I. ii. 40 With the fury of a bear which had been robbed of her cubs.
b. transferred.
ΚΠ
1769 T. Gray Jrnl. 2 Oct. in Corr. (1971) III. 1079 Pass'd by the side of Skiddaw, & its cub called Latter-rig.
c. Cub, a junior member of the Scout Association (see scout n.4 2c). In full Cub Scout, (formerly) Wolf Cub.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > social relations > an association, society, or organization > specific societies or organizations > [noun] > specific youth organizations > members of scouts or guides
Boy Scout1908
patrol leader1908
scout1908
scoutmaster1908
tenderfoot1908
captain1909
Girl Guide1909
Girl Scout1909
lieutenant1909
pathfinder1911
sea scout1911
rosebud1914
brownie1916
sixer1916
tenderpad1916
Brown Owl1918
rover1918
Rover Scout1918
ranger1920
tawny owl1921
Cub1922
Akela1924
scouter1930
Guider1931
den mother1936
Queen's Guide1946
Queen's Scout1952
Venture Scout1966
Beaver1975
skipper1986
1922 A. Poyser (title) The Cub Song Book.
1923 Daily Mail 11 June 16 Boy Scouts and Cubs furnished a guard of honour.
1964 M. Kelly March to Gallows xiii. 165 I shan't slip a wicked potion in it... Cubs' honour.
3. figurative.
a. An undeveloped, uncouth, unpolished youth.Compared to the young of the bear, which was fabled to be born in a shapeless condition, and afterwards licked into shape by the mother.
ΘΚΠ
the world > people > person > young person > youth or young man > [noun]
frumberdlingc1000
young manOE
childc1225
hind1297
pagec1300
youtha1325
fawnc1369
swainc1386
stripling1398
boy1440
springaldc1450
jovencel1490
younkera1522
speara1529
gorrel1530
lad1535
hobbledehoy1540
cockerel1547
waga1556
spring1559
loonc1560
hensure1568
youngster1577
imp1578
pigsney1581
cocklinga1586
demy1589
muchacho1591
shaver1592
snipper-snappera1593
callant1597
spaught1598
stubble boy1598
ghillie1603
codling1612
cuba1616
skippera1616
man-boy1637
sprig1646
callow1651
halflang1660
stubbed boy1683
gossoon1684
gilpie1718
stirraha1722
young lion1792
halfling1794
pubescent1795
young man1810
sixteener1824
señorito1843
tad1845
boysie1846
shaveling1854
ephebe1880
boychick1921
lightie1946
young blood1967
studmuffin1986
the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > [noun] > unmannerliness > unrefined manners or behaviour > person > youth
cuba1616
yob1927
a1616 W. Shakespeare Twelfth Night (1623) v. i. 162 O thou dissembling Cub: what wilt thou be When time hath sow'd a grizzle on thy case? View more context for this quotation
1693 W. Congreve Old Batchelour iv. iii. 35 A Country-Squire, with the Equipage of a Wife and two Daughters..But, Oh Gad! Two such unlick'd Cubs!
1723 R. Steele Conscious Lovers i. i Like a bashful, great, awkward cub as you were.
1853 W. M. Thackeray Newcomes (1854) I. vi. 64 He thinks it necessary to be civil to the young cub.
1884 H. Hunter & W. Whyte My Ducats iv. 62 I know the young cubs you'll have to teach.
b. An apprentice or beginner; spec. an apprentice pilot on a steamboat. Originally U.S.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > one who travels by water or sea > sailor > sailors involved in specific duties or activities > [noun] > helmsman or pilot > apprentice pilot
cub1875
society > education > learning > learner > [noun] > novice or beginner
younglingOE
new-comeOE
novice1340
ginner?c1400
beginner1470
apprentice1489
prentice1489
infant1526
freshmana1557
intrant1560
enterer1565
puny?1570
weakling1575
new comeling1587
novist1587
incipient1589
puisne1592
abecedary1596
neophyte1600
abecedarian1603
bachelor1604
novelist?1608
alphabetary1611
breeching boy1611
tiro1611
alphabetarian1614
principiant1619
unexperienced1622
velvet head1631
undergraduatea1659
young stager1664
greenhorn1672
battledore boy1693
youngster1706
tironist1716
novitiatea1734
recruit1749
griffin1793
initiate1811
Johnny Newcome1815
Johnny Raw1823
griff1829
plebe1833
Johnny-come-lately1839
new chum1851
blanc-bec1853
fledgling1856
rookie1868
elementarian1876
tenderfoot1881
shorthorn1888
new kid1894
cheechako1897
ring-neck1898
Johnny1901
rook1902
fresh meat1908
malihini1914
initiand1915
stooge1930
intakea1943
cub1966
1840 Ninawah Gaz. (Peru, Illinois) 14 May 2/3 Awaiting the arrival of ‘a cub’ (a young speculator).]
1875 ‘M. Twain’ in Atlantic Monthly May 567/1 The pilot not on watch takes his ‘cub’ or steersman..and goes out in the yawl.
1875 ‘M. Twain’ in Atlantic Monthly May 568/2 Nothing delights a cub so much as an opportunity to go out sounding.
1895 R. Kipling Land & Sea Tales (1923) 72 I'll take him as my cub, for there's no denying he's a resourceful lad.
1966 New Statesman 30 Dec. 956/1 Every cub knows that the first rule of reporting is: never show your story to your subjects before it's on the street.
ΚΠ
1698 St. Thomas's Hosp. Rec. (MS.) 18 June That no Surgeons cubs or persons of that nature do keep their hatts on before the Physicians or Surgeons of the house.
1702 St. Thomas's Hosp. Rec. (MS.) 12 Feb. Orders for Cubbs. That no Surgeon have more than three at one time.
Compounds
C1. General attributive.
a.
cub-bear n.
ΚΠ
1834 H. M. Brackenridge Recoll. vii. 79 Some would rather pass for cub bears than be disappointed in their endeavours to attract attention.
cub-fox n.
ΚΠ
1684 T. Goddard Plato's Demon 237 A little Cubb Fox.
b. (sense 2c.)
cub-master n.
ΚΠ
1921 Daily Colonist (Victoria, Brit. Columbia) 25 Mar. 9/1 To run a troop and pack requires a certain amount of money, which it is hardly fair to ask the individual Scoutmasters and Cubmasters to find.
1927 Daily Mail 12 July 10/4 A Hastings Rover Cub-master.
cub-mistress n.
ΚΠ
1927 Daily Tel. 21 June 3/2 A child who had fallen into a mill stream..was rescued by a local cubmistress.
1970 J. Wainwright Prynter's Devil vii. 160 Shut up, if you can't do anything but make noises like an outraged cub-mistress.
c. (sense 3b.)
cub-engineer n.
ΚΠ
1875 ‘M. Twain’ in Atlantic Monthly Jan. 71/1 They..learned to disappear when the ruthless ‘cub’-engineer approached.
cub-pilot n.
ΚΠ
1859 ‘M. Twain’ in Univ. Missouri Stud. (1938) XIII. 57/2 Our friend Sergeant Fathom, one of the oldest cub pilots on the river.
1875 ‘M. Twain’ in Atlantic Monthly Feb. 217/1 (heading) A ‘cub’ pilot's experience; or, learning the river.
1883 ‘M. Twain’ Life on Mississippi v. 47 I want to be a cub-pilot.
cub-reporter n.
ΚΠ
1899 J. L. Williams in Scribner's Mag. 25 277 (title) The cub reporter and the king of Spain.
1908 A. Ruhl Other Americans ii. 9 The mere gringo feels like a cub reporter at the office of a campaign committee.
1925 E. Wallace King by Night xli. 183 Bobby was a cub reporter on my newspaper in Sacramento.
C2. † cub-drawn adj. Obsolete drawn (or ? sucked dry) by its cubs.
ΚΠ
1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear viii. 11 This night wherin the cub-drawne Beare would couch. View more context for this quotation
cub-hunt n. and v.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > hunting > hunting specific animals > [noun] > fox > young foxes
cub-hunting1858
cub-hunt1870
cubbing1882
the world > food and drink > hunting > hunting specific animals > hunt specific animal [verb (intransitive)] > hunt fox > young foxes
cub-hunt1870
cub1926
1870 Blaine's Encycl. Rural Sports (rev. ed.) 489 It is not common to cub hunt in the country intended for the winter practice.
1870 Blaine's Encycl. Rural Sports (rev. ed.) 489 A September cub hunt.
cub-hunting n. hunting young foxes at the beginning of the season.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > hunting > hunting specific animals > [noun] > fox > young foxes
cub-hunting1858
cub-hunt1870
cubbing1882
1858 J. A. Froude Hist. Eng. (ed. 2) III. 121 Entertaining a party of friends for cub-hunting.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1893; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
cubn.2
/kʌb/, U.S. /kəb/ Chiefly dialect.
(a) A stall, pen, or shed for cattle; also, a coop or hutch. (b) A crib for fodder; a chest, bin, or other receptacle.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > animal enclosure or house general > [noun] > enclosure > fold or pen
folda700
lockeOE
pen1227
foldingc1440
pend1542
cub1548
hull1570
corral1582
boolya1599
ree1674
crew1681
reeve1720
stell1766
pound1779
kraal1796
fank1812
poundage1866
forcing-yard1890
1548 R. Crowley Confut. N. Shaxton H vj b (T.) The anchors also, and charter-monks, vowed they not to die in theyr houses? And why are they not turned out of theyr cubbes, if vowes may not be broken?
1634 Althorp MS in J. N. Simpkinson Washingtons (1860) App. p. lxvii Mending posts and rayles about the deer house and the long cubb.
a1644 W. Laud Hist. Chancellorship Oxf. 132 (T.) The great leidger-book of the statutes is to be placed in archivis among the university charters, and not in any cub of the library.
1675 T. Tully Let. to R. Baxter 9 You are pleas'd..to put me..in the Cubb with divers mean and contemptible Malefactours.
1789 W. Marshall Rural Econ. Glocestershire I. 231 They have their fill of hay given them..in cribs—provincially ‘cubs’—of different forms and descriptions.
18.. Landor in Webster's Internat. Dict. Eng. Lang. (1890) I would rather have such..in cub or kennel than in my closet or at my table.
1870 Eng. Mech. 21 Jan. 447/3 In this hearth are two apertures leading into the ‘Cubs’..which are used for receiving the ore, when ready to be drawn out.
1879 G. F. Jackson Shropshire Word-bk. Cub, (1) a chest used in stables to hold corn for the horses. (2) a boarded partition in a granary to store corn..(4) a pen for poultry or rabbits.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1893; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
cubv.1
/kʌb/, U.S. /kəb/ 1. transitive and intransitive. To bring forth cubs.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > animal body > general parts > sexual organs and reproduction > [verb (intransitive)] > bring forth young
belittera1325
whelp1398
fawn1481
litter1484
kitten1495
kittle1530
yean1548
dam1577
farrow1580
cub1755
the world > animals > animal body > general parts > sexual organs and reproduction > [verb (transitive)] > give birth to
bearOE
whelpc1175
kindle?c1225
hatcha1350
yeana1387
calvea1425
producea1513
dam1577
cast1587
rewhelp1605
render1607
store1611
drop1662
warp1738
kit1758
kitten1824
throw1824
cub1864
1755 in S. Johnson Dict. Eng. Lang.
1843 F. Marryat Narr. Trav. M. Violet III. xiii. 264 (note) It [sc.the puma] will seldom attack unless when cubbing.
1864 Moral Statist. Glasgow 299 When the tigress cubs a lamb, when the vulture breeds a dove.
2. to cub it: to live as a cub.
3. intransitive. = cub-hunt n. and vb. at cub n.1 Compounds 2. Chiefly as present participle. Cf. cubbing n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > hunting > hunting specific animals > hunt specific animal [verb (intransitive)] > hunt fox > young foxes
cub-hunt1870
cub1926
1926 Glasgow Herald 21 Sept. 7/2 We were cubbing on the high ground above Anstruther.
1931 Daily Express 14 Oct. 1/5 They were out cubbing yesterday.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1893; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
cubv.2
/kʌb/, U.S. /kəb/ Obsolete exc. dialect.
transitive. To confine as in a ‘cub’; to coop up.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > subjection > restraint or restraining > restraint depriving of liberty > confinement > confine [verb (transitive)]
beloukOE
loukOE
sparc1175
pena1200
bepen?c1225
pind?c1225
prison?c1225
spearc1300
stopc1315
restraina1325
aclosec1350
forbara1375
reclosea1382
ward1390
enclose1393
locka1400
reclusea1400
pinc1400
sparc1430
hamperc1440
umbecastc1440
murea1450
penda1450
mew?c1450
to shut inc1460
encharter1484
to shut up1490
bara1500
hedge1549
hema1552
impound1562
strain1566
chamber1568
to lock up1568
coop1570
incarcerate1575
cage1577
mew1581
kennel1582
coop1583
encagea1586
pound1589
imprisonc1595
encloister1596
button1598
immure1598
seclude1598
uplock1600
stow1602
confine1603
jail1604
hearse1608
bail1609
hasp1620
cub1621
secure1621
incarcera1653
fasten1658
to keep up1673
nun1753
mope1765
quarantine1804
peg1824
penfold1851
encoop1867
oubliette1884
jigger1887
corral1890
maroon1904
to bang up1950
to lock down1971
1621 R. Burton Anat. Melancholy i. ii. iv. v. 202 What misery..must it needs bring to him..to be cubbed vp vpon a sudden.
1629 J. Mabbe tr. C. de Fonseca Deuout Contempl. 46 David's souldiers..would faine haue set vpon Saul, when they had him cub'd vp in the caue.
1693 J. Dryden tr. Persius Satires v. 69 Cubb'd in a Cabbin, on a Mattrass laid.
1791 Gentleman's Mag. 61 ii. 809 It is the fashion..for all the English to be cubbed up in the Fauxbourg St. Germain.
1882 W. Worcester Gloss. Cub, to confine in small space. Cubbed-up, bent, crumpled.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1893; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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