1
: any of various usually cylindrical structures or devices: such as
a
: a hollow elongated cylinder
especially
: one to convey fluids
b
: a soft tubular container whose contents (such as toothpaste) can be removed by squeezing
c(1)
: tunnel
(2)
British
: subway sense b
d
: the basically cylindrical section between the mouthpiece and bell that is the fundamental part of a wind instrument
2
a
: a slender channel (such as a fallopian tube or a pollen tube) within a plant or animal body : duct
b
: the narrow basal portion of a corolla with united petals or a calyx with united sepals
3
4
a
: electron tube
especially
: vacuum tube
b
: cathode-ray tube
especially
: a television picture tube
c
5
: an article of clothing shaped like a tube
a tube top
tube socks
Examples of tube in a Sentence
She was breathing oxygen through a tube.
watched the liquid move through the tube between the flasks and recorded the movement in his chemistry notebook
Recent Examples on the Web
The design readily recognizable by its steel tubes and colored metal panels is today part of the permanent design collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
—
Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
The auto clean process includes cleaning not only the dustbin, but also the brush, tube, and the HEPA filter.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 3 Sep. 2025
Each vessel is equipped with 32 vertical launch tubes for three types of anti-surface and land-attack cruise missiles, as well as 10 torpedo tubes.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
In images shared on the GoFundMe page, he is seen at the hospital with tubes in his nose and one of his legs severely blistered and bruised all over his shin down to the ankle.
—Escher Walcott, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tube
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Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
The auto clean process includes cleaning not only the dustbin, but also the brush, tube, and the HEPA filter.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 3 Sep. 2025
Each vessel is equipped with 32 vertical launch tubes for three types of anti-surface and land-attack cruise missiles, as well as 10 torpedo tubes.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
In images shared on the GoFundMe page, he is seen at the hospital with tubes in his nose and one of his legs severely blistered and bruised all over his shin down to the ankle.
—Escher Walcott, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tube
Cite this Entry
“Tube.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tube. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tube
noun1
a
: a slender channel within a plant or animal body : duct
b
: a long hollow cylinder
especially
: one to carry fluids
c
: the part of a wind instrument that connects the mouthpiece with the open end
2
: a soft container shaped something like a tube whose contents (as toothpaste or glue) can be removed by squeezing
3
4
6
: an article of clothing shaped like a tube
tube socks
Medical Definition
tube
1 of 2 noun1
: a slender channel within a plant or animal body : duct see bronchial tube, eustachian tube, fallopian tube
2
a
: an often complex piece of laboratory or technical apparatus usually of glass and commonly serving to isolate or convey a product of reaction
a distillation tube
b
3
: a soft tubular container whose contents (as toothpaste) can be dispensed by squeezing
4
: a hollow cylindrical device (as a cannula) used for insertion into bodily passages or hollow organs for removal or injection of materials
tube
2 of 2 transitive verb
tubed; tubing
: to furnish with, enclose in, or pass through a tube
the patient is then anesthetized … and tubed—Anesthesia Digest
Anesthesia DigestLove words? Need even more definitions?
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