tuba

American  

[too-buh, tyoo-] / ˈtu bə, ˈtyu- /

noun

plural

tubas, tubae

1. Music.

   1. a valved, brass wind instrument having a low range.

   2. an organ reed stop of large scale with tones of exceptional power.

   3. an ancient Roman trumpet.

2. Meteorology. funnel cloud.

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tuba British  

/ ˈtjuːbə /

noun

1. a valved brass instrument of bass pitch, in which the bell points upwards and the mouthpiece projects at right angles. The tube is of conical bore and the mouthpiece cup-shaped

2. any other bass brass instrument such as the euphonium, helicon, etc

3. a powerful reed stop on an organ

4. a form of trumpet of ancient Rome

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tuba Cultural  

1. The lowest-pitched of the brass instruments. In orchestras, the tuba is usually held across the player's lap. In marching bands, the sousaphone is generally used as a low brass instrument because it was designed to be carried.

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Etymology

Origin of tuba

1850–55; < Latin: trumpet; akin to tube

Example Sentences

Trombones bleat, a tuba bellows, drums are the heart.

From Salon • Nov. 8, 2025

Invented in 1835, the tuba was brought to perfection, some say, in the mid-1930s by the Michigan-based York Band Instrument Co.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 22, 2025

In symphony orchestras, the lone tuba is relegated to the back row, and the player’s face is sometimes obscured by the bell.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 22, 2025

Still, the tuba is a source of delight for those who are stimulated by its sound; for those who play it, it’s a source of satisfaction and fulfillment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 22, 2025

Werner watches a Nordic-looking boy stagger beneath the weight of a tuba.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr