tuber

1 of 2

noun (1)

tu·​ber ˈtü-bər 

ˈtyü-

plural tubers

1

a

: a short fleshy usually underground stem bearing minute scale leaves each of which bears a bud in its axil and is potentially able to produce a new plant

Wireworms work beneath the soil, tunneling in the potato tubers and sometimes doing serious damage.

—Glenn Drowns

Manioc flour, made from cassava (a starchy tuber), is available at many Latin American markets.

—Paul Theroux

compare bulb, corm

b

: a fleshy root or rhizome resembling a tuber

2

: tuberosity

tuber

2 of 2

noun (2)

tub·​er ˈtü-bər 

ˈtyü-

plural tubers

: a person who engages in the sport or activity of riding an inner tube (as down a river or snowy slope) : one who participates in tubing

With so many tubers using the river, streambank erosion became a problem at popular exit points.

—Jerry Gerlach et al.

Skiers, snowboarders and snow tubers have seen everything Mother Nature can throw at them this winter.

—Ron Leonardi

Examples of tuber in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Mid-March can suffice for early plantings of potatoes, but there is a risk of tuber rot if conditions turn cold and damp. —Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 13 Mar. 2025

Unlike common potatoes, whose shoots grow from eyes, sweet potato shoots sprout from the end of the tuber. —Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 6 Mar. 2025

Fonseca’s Black Egg is an exquisite few bites, one that helps set the stage for the delights of the confiance dinner to come, one that repeat guests can remember fondly and re-enjoy, one that showcases the true versatility of this noble tuber. —Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2025

The plant yielded 30 percent more of its large red tubers than a normal, unengineered plant in the same conditions, according to a recent study in Global Change Biology. —Julian Nowogrodzki, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Latin, swelling, truffle; perhaps akin to Latin tumēre to swell — more at thumb entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1668, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1968, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tuber

• gruber
• uber

Kids Definition

tuber

noun

tu·​ber ˈt(y)ü-bər 

1

: a short fleshy usually underground stem (as of a potato plant) having tiny scalelike leaves each with a bud at its base that can produce a new plant compare bulb sense 1a, corm

2

: a fleshy root or rhizome that resembles a tuber

Medical Definition

tuber

noun

tu·​ber ˈt(y)ü-bər 

: an anatomical prominence : tuberosity