chubby

Recorded since 1611, from chub (“short, thick fish species used as bait"; used metaphorically since 1558 for "lazy person”), an assibilated form of cub (“a lump, heap, mass”) and cob, from Middle English *cubbe (found only in derivative cubbel (“a block to which an animal is tethered”)), from Old Norse kubbr, kumbr (“block, stump, log”) and/or Old Norse kumben (“stumpy”), equivalent to chub +‎ -y. Cognate with dialectal Swedish kubbug (“fat, plump, chubby”). More at chub.

• enPR: chŭbʹē, IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃʌbi/

  • Audio (General Australian):

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  • Audio (US):

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• (Northern England, Ireland) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃʊbi/
• Rhymes: -ʌbi

chubby (comparative chubbier, superlative chubbiest)

1. Of a person: slightly overweight, somewhat fat, and hence plump, rounded, and soft.

   Synonyms: chunky, plump, podgy, tubby

   Obviously the chubby child was eating too much.

   • 2010, Marsha Hubler, The Long Ride Home, Zonderkidz, →ISBN, page 97:

     Slowly Skye wrapped her arms around the chubby woman's frame and rested her head on Rita's chest drenched with perspiration.

2. Of a body part: containing a moderate amount of fat.

   Synonyms: chunky, plump, podgy

   It’s quite normal for babies to have chubby cheeks.

   • 1867, Ivan Sergheïevitch Turgenef [i.e., Ivan Turgenev], chapter I, in Eugene Schuyler, transl., Fathers and Sons […], New York, N.Y.: Leypoldt and Holt, →OCLC, page 1:

     The servant to whom he put this question was a young fellow with chubby cheeks, small, dull eyes, and a round chin, covered with a colorless down.

chubby (plural chubbies)

1. A chubby, plump person
   • 1949, R. Duffy Lewis, Dorothy Stote, How to build an infant's, girls' and teens' wear business: a manual for retailers and prospective shop owners:

     The chubby is the girl who cannot be fitted in the regular 7 to 14 size range because she is too stout. Sizes for these girls are 7*4 to 141/^, and are specially styled and designed to give them better proportions.

   • 2007, Jackie Guerra, Under Construction: How I've Gained and Lost Millions of Dollars and Hundreds of Pounds, New American Library, →ISBN:

     The chubby is especially taken for granted: "Hey, can you watch my purse while I dance?"

2. (chiefly gay slang) An overweight or obese gay man.
3. (slang) A penile erection, especially when short and with a large circumference; a boner.
   • 2006, w:Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby:

     Hey, Lucius, I just wanted to share a piece of personal information with you. I've got a... a chubby right now because [starts screaming] This is one of the most awesome experiences of my life!

4. A type of thickly-padded fur jacket.

• chub (plump person)
• chubby chaser