tuba

American  

[too-buh, tyoo-] / ˈtu bə, ˈtju- /

noun

• tubas,
  plural
• tubae
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tubae
  plural
• tubas
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of tuba

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

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Explanation

A tuba is a large brass instrument that you play by blowing into its mouthpiece. In a marching band, the tuba player plays the lowest, deepest notes (and also has to lug around her tuba). The tuba is the biggest, and among the newest, of all the brass instruments. Tuba players create the low-pitched sound by making a kind of "buzz" with their breath against the mouthpiece and pressing the tuba's valves to form notes. In an orchestra, a tuba player holds the instrument on her lap, while a tuba player in a marching band would use a sousaphone tuba, or helicon, a lighter tuba that can be worn across a shoulder.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tuba tubas

Their storefront may be the only place in Los Angeles County that serves tuba, which they import frozen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

The Bejarano family notes that people come from all over to taste their stall’s tuba in particular, warning that not all tuba is made with the same precision as theirs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

“Two trumpets and a tuba, accompanied by thousands of snare drums.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

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

From Salon ● Nov. 8, 2025

So a trumpet or tuba can get one harmonic series using no valves, another one a half step lower using one valve, another one a whole step lower using another valve, and so on.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

For Bruckner, rising melodic scales, humongous fanfares with trumpets and horns and Wagner tubas galore and repeated patterns over and over by an unstoppable orchestra serve as injections of musical endorphins.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2025

Take my word for it: I own 10 tubas and have had more fun playing them than should be legal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025

The Inglewood marching band — about 40 members strong — roared alongside their signal-caller, blasting music with their tubas and trumpets in victory as the Sentinels celebrated their 34-29 win Friday night.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2024

Up in the bleachers, tubas swayed from side to side as if waving hello, and bare backs rippled with red and blue paint that spelled, “Go Mustangs!”

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 30, 2023

A brass band exploded in the sunlight, flinging off a gay tune from upraised tubas and trumpets.

From "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury

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