blubber

Everyday

1. Blubber is the thick layer of fat under the skin of whales, seals and penguins that keeps them warm in cold water. tree →
2. (informal) To blubber is to cry noisily, often with tears and sobs. tree →
3. (informal, rude) Blubber is sometimes used unkindly about fat on a person. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons blubber is an adaptation for the cold: it insulates animals like the blue whale and walrus and stores energy. A classic experiment: put your hand in a glove of lard («blubber glove») and dip it in ice water. In history, whale blubber was boiled to make oil for lamps. Phrases: a layer of blubber, blubber glove.

Examples

• Seals have thick blubber to keep warm in icy seas. tree →
• A whale's blubber can be 30 centimetres thick. tree →
• Our blubber glove experiment showed that fat keeps out the cold. tree →
• Long ago, whalers boiled blubber to make lamp oil. tree →
• Polar bears eat seal blubber for energy. tree →
• (informal) Stop blubbering — it's only a scratch! tree →
• The little boy blubbered when he lost his teddy. tree →
• He had no time to change his mind, for Kotick’s head was out and his teeth sunk in the blubber of the young seal’s neck. tree →

Note

Uncountable as a noun: «a lot of blubber». Calling a person «blubber» is cruel name-calling — do not do it. Blubber is fat, not muscle.