tube

[ toob, tyoob ]

/ tub, tyub /

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See synonyms for: tube / tubing on Thesaurus.com

noun

a hollow, usually cylindrical body of metal, glass, rubber, or other material, used especially for conveying or containing liquids or gases.

a small, collapsible, cylinder of metal or plastic sealed at one end and having a capped opening at the other from which paint, toothpaste, or some other semifluid substance may be squeezed.

Anatomy, Zoology. any hollow, cylindrical vessel or organ: the bronchial tubes.

Botany.

any hollow, elongated body or part.
the united lower portion of a gamopetalous corolla or a gamosepalous calyx.

inner tube.

Electronics. electron tube.

Informal.

television.
a television set.

mailing tube.

the tubular tunnel in which an underground railroad runs.

the railroad itself.

Surfing Slang. the curled hollow formed on the underside of a cresting wave.

British. subway (def. 1).

Australian Slang. a can of beer.

Older Slang. a telescope.

verb (used with object), tubed, tub·ing.

to furnish with a tube or tubes.

to convey or enclose in a tube.

to form into the shape of a tube; make tubular.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about tube

down the tube / tubes, Informal. into a ruined, wasted, or abandoned state or condition.

Origin of tube

First recorded in 1590–1600, tube is from the Latin word tubus pipe

OTHER WORDS FROM tube

tubeless, adjectivetubelike, adjectivemul·ti·tube, adjective

Words nearby tube

tubal ligation, tubal pregnancy, tubate, tubby, tub chair, tube, tube cell, tubectomy, tube fly, tube foot, tubeless tire

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tube in a sentence

A towable tube will guarantee a wild ride for any seafarer, young and old.
The best boating tubes|PopSci Commerce Team|September 3, 2020|Popular-Science
The Platypus Big Zip has a three-liter capacity, and features a switchable tube set-up that can plug into either the bottom or a connection point halfway up the bladder.
Hydration bladders for outdoor adventures|PopSci Commerce Team|September 1, 2020|Popular-Science
This bike has a quick-release to hold the seatpost in the seat tube.
The most secure ways to lock up your bike|By Michael Frank/Cycle Volta|August 26, 2020|Popular-Science
She remained on a ventilator and tube feedings for nearly five years.
New guidance on brain death could ease debate over when life ends|Laura Sanders|August 10, 2020|Science News

In experimental systems, researchers have attached different sorts of molecules to strips of paper, which can be dipped in a tube of saliva to produce the results of a home test in 30 minutes or less.
The Case for Rapid At-Home COVID Testing for Everyone - Facts So Romantic|Robert Bazell|August 5, 2020|Nautilus
With the help of mobility aids and a feeding tube, she lived well past her initial prognosis of death by age 4.
U.K. Courts Grant Mother Right to End Her 12-Year-Old Disabled Daughter’s Life|Elizabeth Picciuto|November 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That incident was due to an “equipment” problem (a steel tube ruptured)—resulting in explosive vapors being released and ignited.
Oil Tankers Leaking into Seattle’s Water|Bill Conroy|October 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For hoodie-clad, Silicon Valley-types, this means more transistors in a dense integrated tube.
How We Compute: Flexible Hardware Required||September 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
With shorts, a man is expected to wear ankle socks rather than pulled up tube socks.
The Problem With Weird Al’s ‘Word Crimes’ Video|John McWhorter|July 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Also, because a tube of lipstick stands in for the “i” in “science.”
Girls Love Science. We Tell Them Not To.|Tauriq Moosa|July 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Drone: the largest tube of a bag-pipe, giving forth a dull heavy tone.
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift
Should the vapor not condense well, the test-tube may be immersed in a glass of cold water.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
For comparison, the gas may be passed through a test-tube containing an equal amount of distilled water.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
At once cover the mouth of the tube with a filter-paper cap moistened with saturated aqueous solution of silver nitrate (1:1).
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
The best pipet is a small glass tube which has been drawn out at one end to a tip with rather small opening.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for tube

tube

/ (tjuːb) /

noun

a long hollow and typically cylindrical object, used for the passage of fluids or as a container

a collapsible cylindrical container of soft metal or plastic closed with a cap, used to hold viscous liquids or pastes

anatomy

short for Eustachian tube, Fallopian tube
any hollow cylindrical structure

botany

the lower part of a gamopetalous corolla or gamosepalous calyx, below the lobes
any other hollow structure in a plant

the tube British

Also called: the underground an underground railway systemUS and Canadian equivalent: subway
the tunnels through which the railway runs
the train itself
(capital) trademark the London underground railway system

electronics

another name for valve (def. 3)
See electron tube, cathode-ray tube, television tube

the tube slang a television set

British slang a stupid or despicable person

Australian slang a bottle or can of beer

surfing the cylindrical passage formed when a wave breaks and the crest tips forward

an archaic word for telescope

verb (tr)

to fit or supply with a tube or tubes

to carry or convey in a tube

to shape like a tube

Derived forms of tube

tubeless, adjectivetube-like, adjective

Word Origin for tube

C17: from Latin tubus

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with tube

tube

see down the tubes.

tube

Idioms about tube

Origin of tube

OTHER WORDS FROM tube

Words nearby tube

Words related to tube

How to use tube in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tube

Derived forms of tube

Word Origin for tube

Other Idioms and Phrases with tube