tuber

noun (1)

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tu·ber | \ ˈtü-bər

, ˈtyü- \

plural tubers

Definition of tuber

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

noun (2)

tub·er | \ ˈtü-bər

, ˈtyü- \

plural tubers

Definition of tuber (Entry 2 of 2)

: 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 The presence of an orange-fleshed tuber or squash, mixed with sugar and spices and then baked with more sugar on top, always perplexed me as a side on the Thanksgiving table — isn’t that treatment for the dessert pie? — Ben Mims, Los Angeles Times, "Forget the marshmallows: Slow-roasted yams deserve better toppings for Thanksgiving," 12 Nov. 2020 The interchangeable use of sweet potato and yam to refer to an orange tuber is understandable. — Shaena Montanari, The Arizona Republic, "Are yams and sweet potatoes the same? 5 questions answered about the Thanksgiving favorite," 4 Nov. 2020 Leave a few inches of stalk attached to the tuber, but sift off all the dirt and trim back the roots. — Tim Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Uproot delicate dahlia tubers now so they can overwinter indoors," 1 Nov. 2020 When the foliage has turned papery and tan, pull it off of the tuber. — Dan Gill, NOLA.com, "Store caladium tubers inside, plant rye grass seed now, and cover roots with mulch," 28 Oct. 2020 With a few years under its belt, the taproot expands into an impressive tuber that needs to be dug out. — Ellen Nibali, baltimoresun.com, "Garden Q&A: On managing poke weed and snakes," 24 Sep. 2020 Don't confuse this disease with less-serious scurf, which creates small, round, dark spots on tuber surfaces but doesn't affect eating quality. — The Editors, Good Housekeeping, "A Guide to Growing Sweet Potatoes in Your Backyard," 21 May 2020 But the talented tuber has uses that extend well beyond the kitchen. — Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, "How to Make Potato Stamps," 12 June 2020 As carloads of other tubers arrived in the scorching lot at the banks of the river, Burshe said he wasn’t concerned about exposure to the virus. — Brian Chasnoff, ExpressNews.com, "This summer, coexisting safely with COVID-19 is a Texas paradox," 22 May 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tuber.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.