tubercle

American  

[too-ber-kuhl, tyoo-] / ˈtu bər kəl, ˈtyu- /

noun

1. a small rounded projection or excrescence, as on a bone or on the surface of the body.

2. Pathology.

   1. a small, firm, rounded nodule or swelling.

   2. such a swelling as the characteristic lesion of tuberculosis.

3. Botany. a tuberlike swelling or nodule.

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tubercle British  

/ ˈtjuːbəkəl /

noun

1. any small rounded nodule or elevation, esp on the skin, on a bone, or on a plant

2. any small rounded pathological lesion of the tissues, esp one characteristic of tuberculosis

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tubercle Scientific  

/ to̅o̅′bər-kəl /

1. A small rounded projection, swelling, or lump, as on the roots of legumes or on bodily tissue, especially the cluster of inflammatory cells that form in the lungs in tuberculosis.

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Etymology

Origin of tubercle

From the Latin word tūberculum, dating back to 1570–80. See tuber ¹, -cle ¹

Example Sentences

Using advanced 3D imaging along with other analytical techniques, the research team identified a femoral tubercle in Sahelanthropus.

From Science Daily • Jan. 3, 2026

Northwestern's Zhou found correlations to BMI in the circuit between the olfactory tubercle and the midbrain region, the periaqueductal gray.

From Science Daily • May 16, 2024

A small bump on the posterior rib surface is the tubercle of the rib, which articulates with the facet located on the transverse process of the same numbered vertebra.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The temporomandibular joint is the articulation between the condyle of the mandible and the mandibular fossa and articular tubercle of the skull temporal bone.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The present comparative rarity of tuberculosis results in large measure from the fact that the average person now seldom comes into contact with the tubercle bacillus.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson