bubble air

Meanings

1. 1phraseuncountable

   Air that is blown into soapy water or another liquid so that it forms a round bubble.

   Grammar: Used as a noun phrase; it takes no plural and usually follows 'the' or no article: 'Bubble air rose to the surface.'

   Patterns

   • blow bubble air
   • bubble air in something
   • bubble air rise

   The children blew bubble air through plastic rings and watched the spheres float away.

   Warm bubble air trapped in the soap film made each bubble shine with colors.

   She dipped the wand in the soap and sent bubble air drifting across the yard.

2. 2phraseuncountabletechnical

   Air that is present as small round pockets inside a liquid or a solid material.

   Grammar: Often used after 'of' or with 'trapped': 'pockets of bubble air'.

   Patterns

   • trapped bubble air
   • pockets of bubble air
   • bubble air in something

   Tiny pockets of bubble air give the glass its cloudy look.

   The ice was full of bubble air, so it floated easily in the drink.

   Engineers remove bubble air from the concrete before it hardens.

3. 3phraseuncountabletechnical

   Air that rises through a liquid in small round pockets, especially in a tank or a pipe.

   Grammar: Common in descriptions of aquariums and machinery; often followed by 'through something'.

   Patterns

   • bubble air through something
   • bubble air into something
   • a stream of bubble air

   The pump pushes bubble air through the water to keep the fish healthy.

   A steady stream of bubble air rose from the bottom of the tank.

   You can see bubble air moving up the tube when the machine starts.

Common combinations

blow bubble air

The kids took turns blowing bubble air through the little red wand.

bubble air rise

We watched the bubble air rise in slow, shiny circles.

trapped bubble air

Trapped bubble air makes the ice look white instead of clear.

a stream of bubble air

A thin stream of bubble air drifted up from the aquarium filter.

pockets of bubble air

Pockets of bubble air form when the mixture is stirred too quickly.

Synonyms and how they differ

air bubble

This is the more common everyday term and usually means one single round pocket of air, while 'bubble air' describes the air itself or the air as a mass.

foam

Foam is a mass of many small bubbles packed together; 'bubble air' refers to the air inside individual bubbles.

Word family

bubble noun

A single ball of gas with a thin liquid or solid skin around it.

bubbly adjective

Full of bubbles, or lively and cheerful in mood.

bubble wrap noun

Plastic packing material covered in small air-filled pockets.

Commonly confused: bubble air or air bubble?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “bubble air”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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