tuber

1 of 2

noun (1)

tu·​ber ˈtü-bər 

ˈtyü-

plural tubers

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

Wireworms work beneath the soil, tunneling in the potato tubers and sometimes doing serious damage.

—Glenn Drowns

Manioc flour, made from cassava (a starchy tuber), is available at many Latin American markets.

—Paul Theroux

compare bulb, corm

b

: a fleshy root or rhizome resembling a tuber

2

: tuberosity

tuber

2 of 2

noun (2)

tub·​er ˈtü-bər 

ˈtyü-

plural tubers

: a person who engages in the sport or activity of riding an inner tube (as down a river or snowy slope) : one who participates in tubing

With so many tubers using the river, streambank erosion became a problem at popular exit points.

—Jerry Gerlach et al.

Skiers, snowboarders and snow tubers have seen everything Mother Nature can throw at them this winter.

—Ron Leonardi

Examples of tuber in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

There are also types with different tuber sizes, growth rates, starch production and drought tolerance. —Stephen Wooding, The Conversation, 1 May 2024

As a 2023 New Yorker article detailing the carnivore craze pointed out, however, studies of Neanderthals have turned up evidence that their diets included dates, tubers and other leafy foods in addition to meat. —Steven Kurutz Steven Kurutz, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Latin, swelling, truffle; perhaps akin to Latin tumēre to swell — more at thumb entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1668, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1968, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

tuber

noun

tu·​ber ˈt(y)ü-bər 

1

: a short fleshy usually underground stem (as of a potato plant) having tiny scalelike leaves each with a bud at its base that can produce a new plant compare bulb sense 1a, corm

2

: a fleshy root or rhizome that resembles a tuber

Medical Definition

tuber

noun

tu·​ber ˈt(y)ü-bər 

: an anatomical prominence : tuberosity