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Glite Dictionary
to pop bubble-wrap

to pop bubble-wrap

1 2.7
Burst the small air bubbles in plastic wrap for fun or to feel calm
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : reventar burbujas
  • The children took turns to pop bubble-wrap while waiting for their pizza.

You know the satisfaction of popping bubble wrap?

Examples

  • (pops bubble wrap)

    Raising Helen (2004)

  • She loves to pop bubble-wrap after a long day at work to relieve stress.

  • I always feel satisfied when I pop bubble-wrap before packaging my fragile items.

Surface Forms

pop bubble-wrap infinitive
popped bubble-wrap past
popped bubble-wrap past participle
popping bubble-wrap present participle
pops bubble-wrap third person singular

Morphology

pop + bubble-wrap

The meaning 'to burst the air-filled bubbles in protective plastic' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'pop' (to burst) with 'bubble-wrap' (a sheet of bubbles in plastic) — the action is literal and compositional. Even if 'bubble-wrap' is not listed separately, it can be analyzed as bubble + wrap, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Pop bubble-wrap comes from the simple action of pressing the small air pockets in a plastic sheet of bubble-wrap so they make a loud pop and burst. That's why it means 'to burst the air-filled bubbles' and people do it for fun or to feel less stressed.