Medieval · insult · noun
Lubber
LUB-er /ˈlʌbə(ɹ)/pronunciation given by a dictionary
First recordedmid-1300s
A large, slow, awkward man who would rather idle than work. From the 1500s it became mainly a sailors' word for someone inept or new at sea — hence 'landlubber'.
Where it was first recorded
Dated mid-14c. by Etymonline; its earliest use is of lazy monks ('abbey-lubber'); work not named.
Also spelled: lobre, lobur, lubbard
In its own time
I am afraid this great lubber, the world, will prove a cockney.
Today
Modern exampleThe great lubber tripped over the only cable in the room and took the projector down with him.
Harmless and theatrical — a gentle jibe at clumsiness; 'landlubber' is still everyday English.
Questions
What does lubber mean?
A large, slow, awkward man who would rather idle than work. From the 1500s it became mainly a sailors' word for someone inept or new at sea — hence 'landlubber'.
When was lubber first used?
It is first recorded mid-1300s.
Can you still use lubber today?
Harmless and theatrical — a gentle jibe at clumsiness; 'landlubber' is still everyday English.
Sources
- lubber — Etymonline (Online Etymology Dictionary)
- lubber — Merriam-Webster
- lubber — Wiktionary
- The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Twelfth Night) — Project Gutenberg
Checked 2026-09-30 · verdict: attested — found in the dictionaries and texts listed above