Definition of:bubble sort
bubble sort

A sorting technique that is typically used for sequencing small lists. It starts by comparing the first item to the second, the second to the third and so on until it finds one item out of order. It then swaps the two items and starts over. The sort may alternate from the top of the list to the bottom and then from the bottom to the top. The name comes from the notion that items are raised or "bubbled up" to the top. See sort algorithm.