Meanings
nounbubble sort (plural bubble sorts)
plural bubble sorts
- computerA sorting algorithm in which pairs of neighboring values are compared and swapped into the right order if necessary in the innermost loop.
Origin
A metaphor, suggesting the way that elements gradually bubble to the top of the array after consecutive comparisons.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic فَرْز فُقّاعِيّ
- فَرْز فُقّاعِيّ (farz fuqqāʕiyy)sorting algorithm
Chinese Cantonese 冒泡排序
- 冒泡排序 (mou⁶ pou⁵ paai⁴ zeoi⁶)sorting algorithm
Chinese Mandarin 冒泡排序, 氣泡排序 /气泡排序
- 冒泡排序 (màopào páixù)sorting algorithm
- 氣泡排序 /气泡排序 (qìpào páixù)sorting algorithm
- 泡沫排序 (pàomò páixù)sorting algorithm
Esperanto bobelmetoda ordigo
- bobelmetoda ordigosorting algorithm
Estonian mullsortimine
- mullsortiminesorting algorithm
Finnish kuplalajittelu, kuplajärjestäminen
- kuplalajittelusorting algorithm
- kuplajärjestäminensorting algorithm
French tri à bulles
- tri à bullessorting algorithm
Japanese バブルソート
- バブルソート (baburu sōto)sorting algorithm
Cite this entry
APA
bubble sort. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bubble%20sort
MLA
“bubble sort.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bubble%20sort. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bubble sort,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bubble%20sort.
Source: bubble sort on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.