1
: any of various usually cylindrical structures or devices: such as
a
: a hollow elongated cylinder
especially
: one to convey fluids
b
: a soft tubular container whose contents (such as toothpaste) can be removed by squeezing
c(1)
: tunnel
(2)
British
: subway sense b
d
: the basically cylindrical section between the mouthpiece and bell that is the fundamental part of a wind instrument
2
a
: a slender channel (such as a fallopian tube or a pollen tube) within a plant or animal body : duct
b
: the narrow basal portion of a corolla with united petals or a calyx with united sepals
3
4
a
: electron tube
especially
: vacuum tube
b
: cathode-ray tube
especially
: a television picture tube
c
5
: an article of clothing shaped like a tube
a tube top
tube socks
Examples of tube in a Sentence
She was breathing oxygen through a tube.
watched the liquid move through the tube between the flasks and recorded the movement in his chemistry notebook
Recent Examples on the Web
But the pontiff never required a tracheal tube to keep his airway open.
—
Emma Bowman, NPR, 22 Mar. 2025
Schoonover says that his insurer refused to pay $8,000 for ear tubes to treat his one-year-old’s recurring ear infections—a treatment doctors said was medically necessary, but the insurer said was not.
—Alana Semuels, TIME, 20 Mar. 2025
To make a cast form, bulk up a paper towel tube by wrapping three or four plastic bags around it.
—Kimberly Stoney, Parents, 19 Mar. 2025
Instead, Misty leads a crew to force-feed him through a tube.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tube
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Emma Bowman, NPR, 22 Mar. 2025
Schoonover says that his insurer refused to pay $8,000 for ear tubes to treat his one-year-old’s recurring ear infections—a treatment doctors said was medically necessary, but the insurer said was not.
—Alana Semuels, TIME, 20 Mar. 2025
To make a cast form, bulk up a paper towel tube by wrapping three or four plastic bags around it.
—Kimberly Stoney, Parents, 19 Mar. 2025
Instead, Misty leads a crew to force-feed him through a tube.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tube
Cite this Entry
“Tube.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tube. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tube
noun1
a
: a slender channel within a plant or animal body : duct
b
: a long hollow cylinder
especially
: one to carry fluids
c
: the part of a wind instrument that connects the mouthpiece with the open end
2
: a soft container shaped something like a tube whose contents (as toothpaste or glue) can be removed by squeezing
3
4
6
: an article of clothing shaped like a tube
tube socks
Medical Definition
tube
1 of 2 noun1
: a slender channel within a plant or animal body : duct see bronchial tube, eustachian tube, fallopian tube
2
a
: an often complex piece of laboratory or technical apparatus usually of glass and commonly serving to isolate or convey a product of reaction
a distillation tube
b
3
: a soft tubular container whose contents (as toothpaste) can be dispensed by squeezing
4
: a hollow cylindrical device (as a cannula) used for insertion into bodily passages or hollow organs for removal or injection of materials
tube
2 of 2 transitive verb
tubed; tubing
: to furnish with, enclose in, or pass through a tube
the patient is then anesthetized … and tubed—Anesthesia Digest
Anesthesia DigestLove words? Need even more definitions?
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