tubercle

[too-ber-kuh l, tyoo-]

noun

a small rounded projection or excrescence, as on a bone or on the surface of the body.
Pathology.
1. a small, firm, rounded nodule or swelling.
2. such a swelling as the characteristic lesion of tuberculosis.
Botany. a tuberlike swelling or nodule.

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 of tubercle

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.
Experiments on Animals
Stephen Paget
Then, in 1881, came the welcome news that Koch had discovered the bacillus of tubercle.
Experiments on Animals
Stephen Paget
Amputation was performed, and the tibia sawn off close to the tubercle.
A Treatise on Gunshot Wounds
Thomas Longmore
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

any small rounded nodule or elevation, esp on the skin, on a bone, or on a plant
any small rounded pathological lesion of the tissues, esp one characteristic of tuberculosis

Word Origin for tubercle

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

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

tubercle in Medicine

tubercle

[tōō′bər-kəl]

An anatomical nodule.tuberculum
A small elevation on the surface of a tooth.
A nodule or swelling, especially a mass of lymphocytes and epithelioid cells forming the characteristic granulomatous lesion of tuberculosis.

tubercle in Science

tubercle

[tōō′bər-kəl]

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.