What does tub mean?
The tub is a common English noun for a broad, usually round container, often made of wood, metal, or plastic. Its best-known use is for washing or bathing, giving rise to the familiar word bathtub, while phrases such as “a tub of butter” or “a tub of ice” use the container sense for a stored or measured quantity. Tub can also be a verb: to tub something means to wash, bathe, or immerse it in a tub, and to place or process it in one. The word is neutral and familiar in British and American English, though as a verb it is less versatile than the noun. It has a practical, domestic quality, evoking baths, storage, food preparation, or washing, but it can also describe larger industrial containers. Its uncomplicated physical image—a deep vessel with an open top—makes it immediately understandable and useful in descriptions of both household objects and working processes.
A broad, usually round, open container for liquids, food, or other materials; also a bathtub.
"The children played with the wooden boats while their clothes soaked in the tub."
The compound “bathtub” is standard in British and American English.
To wash, bathe, or immerse something in a tub; also, to place, soak, or process something in one.
"The produce was tubbed in lightly salted water before pickling."
This use is less frequent than the noun and may sound context-specific or somewhat old-fashioned outside bathing and washing contexts.
The standard plural is formed by adding -s.
"Several tubs of flowers lined the steps leading to the house."
From a deep wooden vessel to a bath to a verb meaning to wash or soak, “tub” turns one ordinary object into a surprisingly versatile part of everyday English.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tub come from?
The English noun appears in Middle English as “tubbe” and was in use by the medieval period. It belongs to a Germanic word group with parallels in Dutch, German, and other nearby languages, but the shared word’s deeper origin is uncertain. The later verb developed from the idea of washing, bathing, or soaking in such a vessel.
Related word forms
How tub is actually used
Tub is neutral and familiar in standard British and American English. The noun is much more widely used than the verb, while “to tub” may sound dated or context-specific when it means to bathe.
Easily confused with tub
A tub is generally broad and open at the top, whereas a tube is narrow and may be closed at one or both ends.