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Definition of cub in English:

cub

Pronunciation /kəb/

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noun

  • 1The young of a fox, bear, lion, or other carnivorous mammal.

    ‘Young tiger and lion cubs are passed amongst large groups of people so they can have a ‘cute’ photo taken with a fluffy animal.’
    • ‘How does a female tiger protect her young cubs amid the sometimes violent attentions of three male suitors?’
    • ‘Over the years, some 400 pets have called the White House home, ranging from bear cubs, snakes, and a hyena, to cats and cows.’
    • ‘Since cheetahs have small jaws and a light build, a mother cannot defend her cubs or kills against lions and hyenas.’
    • ‘The camera passed with flying colors, enduring feeding frenzies and the nibbles of lion cubs.’
    • ‘A 500-millimeter lens enabled him to photograph a mother polar bear and her two cubs from a reasonably safe distance.’
    • ‘Lion cubs, if left alone, can be vulnerable to other large predators.’
    • ‘When very young, the cubs cry when afraid and hum when contented.’
    • ‘Beginning in 1996, a dozen bear cubs orphaned by hunters were released in the reserve.’
    • ‘The young bear's cub sat near its mother nuzzling her.’
    • ‘Move ahead and one can see lion and tiger cubs playing together.’
    • ‘Over the summer, which is December to February in the southern hemisphere, the fox cubs become independent and establish their own territories.’
    • ‘Predators such as cougars, wolves, and adult male bears, even a cub's own father, are threats, especially to cubs that are separated from their mothers.’
    • ‘Another of the most popular attractions at the park is a petting zoo which lets the public get close to a pair of lion cubs and a four-week-old giraffe calf.’
    • ‘However, if the adult lion does not pay full attention, the wild dog might eat the lion cubs behind his back without mercy.’
    • ‘The cameras also follow the antics of spectacled bear cubs the only bears to inhabit South America.’
    • ‘In a project begun a little over a year ago, he sterilizes pride males that have sired around 20 cubs.’
    • ‘At the moment the Zoo has six eight-month-old lion cubs in a large enclosure, all looking very alert and handsome at 9 o'clock at night.’
    • ‘The Daily Dispatch switchboard was almost jammed yesterday as readers called to suggest their names for three lion cubs at the East London Zoo.’
    • ‘When a male lion kills cubs, it does it for a valid a reason - the survival of the pride.’
    baby
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    1. 1.1archaic A young man, especially one who is awkward or ill-mannered.
      ‘There were three of us at infant school, cubs who were always playing together - Mark, Chris and me.’
      • ‘It is veteran versus tyro, wily old fox against bristling young cub, a man who has done it all against a boy who threatens to do it all.’
      • ‘Five cubs - most of the small village's complement of kids - were standing half-hidden beside the tent, staring at me.’
      • ‘It was nice spending time with Bill, Shannon, and their four cubs.’
      • ‘The young cubs have started a project called CalTV.’

intransitive verbcubs, cubbing, cubbed

[no object]

  • Give birth to cubs.

    ‘both share the same earth during the first ten days after cubbing’
    • ‘After observing the autumn cubbing and seeing the unrequited cruelty of the killing of innocents and following the trail of devastation, the sooner they are dealt with the better.’
    • ‘There were no paw prints and no fresh scat, nothing at all to indicate that a cougar had cubbed in these hills that summer.’

Origin

Mid 16th century of unknown origin.