# tub

/ˈtəb/ (US) · /tˈʌb/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/tub
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. storage container

noun · CEFR A1

a wide container used for holding or storing things like food or laundry.

For teachers: a wide, open-topped vessel of various sizes used for storage, washing, or packing.

- She bought a large tub of yogurt at the supermarket.
- The workers filled each plastic tub with fresh berries before transporting them to the cooling facility.

### 2. bathtub

noun · CEFR A2 · American English

a large container that you fill with water to wash your body.

For teachers: a large fixed or portable vessel used for bathing the entire body.

- After a long day of hiking, he just wanted to soak in a hot tub.
- The master bathroom features a deep soaking tub carved from a single block of marble.

### 3. slow boat

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Humorous

a slow or old boat that is difficult to move.

For teachers: an informal, often derogatory term for a slow-moving or clumsy nautical vessel.

- I cannot believe we have to cross the lake in this old tub.
- The sailors joked that the rusty tub would likely sink before it even cleared the harbour wall.

### 4. mining bucket

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a box or bucket used to carry coal or rocks up from a mine.

For teachers: a container or bucket used in mining for transporting ore or coal up a shaft.

- The miners loaded the tub with coal to be pulled to the surface.
- The mechanical winch groaned as it hoisted the heavy tub of iron ore from the depths of the mine shaft.

### 5. to bathe

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to wash yourself in a bathtub.

For teachers: to wash or bathe in a tub; used both transitively and intransitively.

- It is time to tub the kids before they go to bed.
- In the era before modern plumbing, the family would tub in the kitchen using water heated on the stove.

## Examples

- I bought a large tub of yogurt at the store.
- After a long day of hiking, she relaxed in a hot tub to soothe her aching muscles.
- The industrial kitchen was equipped with several stainless steel tubs, each designed to hold bulk quantities of ingredients during the initial stages of food preparation.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.