tuber

tu·ber

noun \ˈtü-bər, ˈtyü-\

Definition of TUBER

1

a : a short fleshy usually underground stem bearing minute scale leaves each of which bears a bud in its axil and is potentially able to produce a new plant — compare bulb, corm

b : a fleshy root or rhizome resembling a tuber

2

: tuberosity

Origin of TUBER

Latin, swelling, truffle; perhaps akin to Latin tumēre to swell — more at thumb

First Known Use: 1668

Rhymes with TUBER

Buber, cuber, goober

tu·ber

noun \ˈt(y)ü-bər\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of TUBER

: an anatomical prominence : tuberosity

tuber

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Short, thickened, mostly underground stem that constitutes the resting stage of certain seed plants. It is often an organ of food storage, reproduction, or both. It bears minute scale leaves, each with a bud that has the potential for developing into a new plant. The common potato is a typical tuber; the much-reduced leaves and associated buds form its “eyes.” The term is also used imprecisely but widely for fleshy roots or rhizomes that resemble tubers (e.g., the “tuber” of the dahlia, actually a tuberous root).