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
see also:
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
Both the tinder storage and ferro tube sections of the Pen-metheus are sealed off with O-rings to prevent any moisture penetration.
—
New Atlas, 22 June 2026
The city and the official float website offers some tips, including that people shouldn’t tie their rafts or tubes together, go alone, float under the influence or use rope swings.
—Idaho Statesman, 22 June 2026
In the three weeks since Syvlie’s birth, she’s been hooked to tubes in the NICU, but that hasn’t stopped Presley from being able to hold her daughter.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026
When Lake Powell’s levels fall below minimum power pool, that means water can no longer flow through the intake tubes for Glen Canyon Dam‘s hydropower facility, which is the primary method for moving water downstream from the reservoir in southern Utah.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 21 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tube
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New Atlas, 22 June 2026
The city and the official float website offers some tips, including that people shouldn’t tie their rafts or tubes together, go alone, float under the influence or use rope swings.
—Idaho Statesman, 22 June 2026
In the three weeks since Syvlie’s birth, she’s been hooked to tubes in the NICU, but that hasn’t stopped Presley from being able to hold her daughter.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026
When Lake Powell’s levels fall below minimum power pool, that means water can no longer flow through the intake tubes for Glen Canyon Dam‘s hydropower facility, which is the primary method for moving water downstream from the reservoir in southern Utah.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 21 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tube
Cite this Entry
“Tube.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tube. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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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