bubble

In business, the unsustainable rise in the price of an asset. Bubbles are not a new phenomenon and have recurred throughout the history of trading. Examples include the South Sea bubble, which burst in 1720, the tulip bulb bubble that collapsed in 1637, and the Internet bubble of the late 1990s. After a period of rapid price growth inevitably the bubble bursts amid frantic selling, leaving many individuals with near worthless goods or shares.