English Explanatory Dictionary

boob tube

English dictionary entry

Meanings

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

Pronunciation

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-boob tube.wav

Word forms

boob tube boob tubes

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.

Synonyms

idiot box zombie box tube top
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