Phrase guide

boob tube

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A television.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated, derogatory, informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: idiot box, zombie box

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A type of woman's upper body garment consisting of a taut band of cloth around the breasts and back.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tube top

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

an electronic device that receives television signals and displays them on a screen

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the British call a tv set a telly

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: television receiver, television, television set, tv, tv set, idiot box, telly, goggle box

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: receiver, receiving system

History

Etymology

* (television): An allusion to the idiocy of television programming and the supposed audience for such (boobs) and that the televisions of that era used cathode ray tube (CRT) vacuum tube displays. First use appears c. 1959, in the The Herald Journal. * (clothing): Due to the clothing being a tube-like garment that covers the breasts (boobs) of a woman. First use appears c. 1977, in the Daily Mail.

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: töllötin — slightly derogatory term for television
  • French: téloche — slightly derogatory term for television
  • German: Glotze — slightly derogatory term for television
  • Greek: χαζοκούτι (chazokoúti) — slightly derogatory term for television
  • Russian: я́щик (jáščik) — slightly derogatory term for television
  • Spanish: caja idiota — slightly derogatory term for television
  • Spanish: caja tonta — slightly derogatory term for television
  • Swedish: dumburk — slightly derogatory term for television