Phrase guide

bubble sort

noun · 1 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

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A sorting algorithm in which pairs of neighboring values are compared and swapped into the right order if necessary in the innermost loop.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

A metaphor, suggesting the way that elements gradually bubble to the top of the array after consecutive comparisons.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Cantonese: 冒泡排序 (mou6 pou5 paai4 zeoi6) — sorting algorithm
  • Chinese Mandarin: 冒泡排序 (màopào páixù) — sorting algorithm
  • Chinese Mandarin: 氣泡排序 /气泡排序 (qìpào páixù) — sorting algorithm
  • Chinese Mandarin: 泡沫排序 (pàomò páixù) — sorting algorithm
  • Esperanto: bobelmetoda ordigo — sorting algorithm
  • Estonian: mullsortimine — sorting algorithm
  • Finnish: kuplalajittelu — sorting algorithm
  • Finnish: kuplajärjestäminen — sorting algorithm
  • French: tri à bulles — sorting algorithm
  • Japanese: バブルソート (baburu sōto) — sorting algorithm