breathing tube

noun

plural breathing tubes

1

medical : a usually small plastic tube inserted (as through the nose or mouth) into the trachea especially to deliver oxygen or anesthesia to the lungs

… tracheostomy, a complication-prone and cosmetically undesirable insertion of a breathing tube through the neck.

—John Grossmann

especially : endotracheal tube

… her life is sustained by a breathing tube that hospital authorities are unwilling to disconnect.

—Judy Flander

Eventually, anesthesia was called to insert a breathing tube and Mrs. M was placed on a ventilator because she could not breathe adequately on her own.

—Kiran Gupta

2

: a tubular anatomical part through which air passes into or out of the body: such as

a

: a trachea or bronchial tube of an air-breathing vertebrate

… immediate help would be available to any student suffering anaphylaxis, the severe allergic reaction that can close off breathing tubes and send the body into shock.

—Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah

Bronchiectasis is abnormal dilation of the bronchi, the breathing tubes of the lungs.

—Paul G. Donohue

b

: one of the air-conveying tubules forming the respiratory system of most insects and many other arthropods : trachea sense 3

… tracheal mites, even tinier parasites, which attack bees' breathing tubes …

—Elizabeth Kolbert

Examples of breathing tube in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Sabah’s breathing tube had been secured in an odd way, to avoid her injuries. —Ayesha Khan, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025

Moaning into the breathing tube, Cobel makes her inner anguish manifest, her moans eventually turning into something that sounds almost like whale song. —Erin Qualey, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025

The would put GoPros in their mouth with a breathing tube. —James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025

The woman said her baby weighed 4 pounds and was awake on a breathing tube. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for breathing tube

• hypercube
• nanotube
• phototube
• boob
• cube
• lube
• rube

Kids Definition

breathing tube

noun

1

: a trachea or bronchial tube of an air-breathing vertebrate

2

: trachea sense 2

3

: a usually small plastic tube inserted into the trachea through the mouth or nose to maintain an unobstructed passageway especially to deliver oxygen or anesthesia to the lungs

Medical Definition

breathing tube

noun

1

: a tubular anatomical part (as a trachea or bronchial tube) through which air passes into or out of the body of an air-breathing vertebrate

… immediate help would be available to any student suffering anaphylaxis, the severe allergic reaction that can close off breathing tubes and send the body into shock.

—Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah, The Chicago Tribune

Bronchiectasis is abnormal dilation of the bronchi, the breathing tubes of the lungs.

—Paul G. Donohue, The Springfield (Massachusetts) Union News

2

: a usually small plastic tube inserted (as through the nose or mouth) into the trachea especially to deliver oxygen or anesthesia to the lungs

… tracheostomy, a complication-prone and cosmetically undesirable insertion of a breathing tube through the neck.

—John Grossmann, Science 84

especially : endotracheal tube

Eventually, anesthesia was called to insert a breathing tube and Mrs. M was placed on a ventilator because she could not breathe adequately on her own.

—Kiran Gupta, The Boston Globe