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tubercle

[too-ber-kuh l, tyoo-]
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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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Origin of tubercle

From the Latin word tūberculum, dating back to 1570–80. See tuber1, -cle1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for tubercle

Historical Examples

  • Tubercle: a small, wart-like growth on the roots of legumes.

    Agriculture for Beginners

    Charles William Burkett

  • He founded the facts of tubercle, and on that foundation Villemin built.

  • Then, in 1881, came the welcome news that Koch had discovered the bacillus of tubercle.

  • Amputation was performed, and the tibia sawn off close to the tubercle.

  • The portion of the rib between the head and the tubercle is known as the neck.

    The Vertebrate Skeleton

    Sidney H. Reynolds

British Dictionary definitions for tubercle

tubercle

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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Word Origin

C16: from Latin tūberculum a little swelling, diminutive of tuber
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

Word Origin and History for tubercle

n.

1570s, from Latin tuberculum "a small swelling," diminutive of tuber "lump" (see tuber).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
tubercle in Medicine

tubercle

(tōō′bər-kəl)
n.
  1. An anatomical nodule.tuberculum
  2. A small elevation on the surface of a tooth.
  3. A nodule or swelling, especially a mass of lymphocytes and epithelioid cells forming the characteristic granulomatous lesion of tuberculosis.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
tubercle in Science

tubercle

[tōō′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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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.