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\ ˈtüb 
, ˈtyüb \
, ˈtyüb \Definition of tube
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
d : the basically cylindrical section between the mouthpiece and bell that is the fundamental part of a wind instrument
2a : 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 : inner tube
5 : an article of clothing shaped like a tube
a tube top tube socks
down the tube or down the tubes
: into a state of collapse or deterioration
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Other Words from tube
tubed \ ˈtübd , ˈtyübd \ adjective
, ˈtyübd \ adjectivetubelike \ ˈtüb-ˌlīk , ˈtyüb- \ adjective
, ˈtyüb- \ adjective
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 What led me there was my spitting into a tube, like millions of others have done, and sending off my DNA to be analyzed.
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Dorothy Pomerantz, STAT, "I was fortunate to get post-23andMe genetic counseling. Everyone should have that option," 7 Feb. 2020 Nasal swabs would be collected from a patient, placed into a tube and mixed with a reactant.
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Anna Bauman, SFChronicle.com, "Coronavirus: UCSF expert working on quicker diagnostic test to stop spread," 29 Jan. 2020 Cut a 1 ½ inch long and ¾ inch wide plug from your tree, insert it into a vinyl tube and clamp it into place.
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Tim Macwelch, Popular Science, "Eight ways an evergreen tree could save your life," 26 Dec. 2019 Cut a 1 ½ inch long and ¾ inch wide plug from your tree, insert it into a vinyl tube and clamp it into place.
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Tim Macwelch, Outdoor Life, "8 Ways to Use Evergreen Trees in a Survival Situation," 23 Dec. 2019 Dryer lint stuffed into a toilet-paper tube and cotton balls coated with Vaseline both work well.
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Outside Online, "5 Ways to Impress Your Friends at the Campsite," 25 July 2019 Doctors are inserting chest tubes in Anderson to drain the fluid, which should give more room for lung expansion.
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Levi Edwards | Ledwards@al.com, al, "Mobile deputy battling life-threatening pneumonia is ‘getting better’," 5 Feb. 2020 Like the serum, the price tag is up there at $145 for a full-sized 50 ml tube.
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Megan Decker, refinery29.com, "Victoria Beckham Just Launched A Groundbreaking Skin-Care Serum," 5 Feb. 2020 The valley sits on a vast aquifer, water that is likely as ancient as the Pleistocene, that feeds springs connected by volcanic tubes underground.
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Erin Stone, azcentral, "Concerns grow that Trump's wall will damage rivers, wildlife habitat on Arizona border," 3 Feb. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tube.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for tube
tube
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of tube
: a long, hollow object that is used especially to control the flow of a liquid or gas
: an object shaped like a pipe
: a soft, long, narrow container that has a small opening at one end and that contains a soft material which can be pushed out by squeezing
See the full definition for tube in the English Language Learners Dictionary
tube
noun\ ˈtüb , ˈtyüb \
, ˈtyüb \Kids Definition of tube
1 : a long hollow cylinder used especially to carry fluids
2 : a long soft container whose contents (as toothpaste or glue) can be removed by squeezing
3 : a slender channel within a plant or animal body : duct
4 : a hollow cylinder of rubber inside a tire to hold air
5 : electron tube
tube
noun\ ˈt(y)üb \
\Medical Definition of tube
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : a slender channel within a plant or animal body : duct — see bronchial tube, eustachian tube, fallopian tube
2a : 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 : test tube
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
transitive verbtubed; tubing
Medical Definition of tube (Entry 2 of 2)
: to furnish with, enclose in, or pass through a tube
the patient is then anesthetized…and tubed — Anesthesia Digest
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Comments on tube
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Time Traveler for tube
The first known use of tube was in 1651
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