tuba

[too-buh, tyoo-]

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.

tuba

/ 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

tuba

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tuba¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of tuba¹

Latin

Example Sentences

The orchestral writing, nicely handled by conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, can be colorful, though the ominous Wagner tubas become predictable after a while and the electronica for which Mr. Bates is best known is barely discernible.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Ipenga captures the tuba player of a local church group as he parades through the streets one Sunday morning.

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“For a family to pay $25 a month to rent a violin or take responsibility for a $2,000 tuba, it’s not going to happen for most students, right?” he said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

I kept telling them, “The tuba is the hook.”

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My earliest memories of the tuba were growing up hearing Texas Southern University’s marching band.

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