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
Check this out 🇬🇧 Tunnel vision: A mile-long series of secret World War II tunnels under a tube station in London will be turned into a major tourist attraction.
—
Daniel Wine, CNN, 26 Feb. 2025
Several side trails branch off along the way, leading to lava tubes, cinder cones and lava caves (only open during summer).
—Emese MacZko, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
The pope is receiving what is known as high-flow oxygen by nasal cannula (a device that provides extra oxygen through a tube and into the nose), which can vary in oxygen percentage.
—Dr. Marc Siegel Fox News, Fox News, 25 Feb. 2025
The police station in Luther is called Hot Slane, which is named after a fictional tube station in one of Nigel Kneale’s shows.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tube
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show current usage.
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Daniel Wine, CNN, 26 Feb. 2025
Several side trails branch off along the way, leading to lava tubes, cinder cones and lava caves (only open during summer).
—Emese MacZko, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
The pope is receiving what is known as high-flow oxygen by nasal cannula (a device that provides extra oxygen through a tube and into the nose), which can vary in oxygen percentage.
—Dr. Marc Siegel Fox News, Fox News, 25 Feb. 2025
The police station in Luther is called Hot Slane, which is named after a fictional tube station in one of Nigel Kneale’s shows.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Feb. 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 13 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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