tuber

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 Sweet Carrot Casserole Alicia Ross came up with this Thanksgiving twist, based on her favorite sweet potato casserole, but substituting carrots for the tubers. — oregonlive, "29 Thanksgiving side dish recipes, including 3 must-have green bean casseroles," 20 Nov. 2019 High water and swift-moving rapids can pose a threat to river rafters, tubers, anglers, swimmers as well as families who picnic by the water, according to CPW. — Longmont Times-call, The Denver Post, "Officials warn some Colorado waterways running high," 8 June 2019 The area where Keyes was working was a popular place for inner-tubers to float the Deschutes River. — Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News, "Unsealed interviews detail two lives of Alaska serial killer Israel Keyes," 10 July 2012 While yams are a pretty prevalent tuber and pumpkin, an agreeable gourd, turkey remained a fairly native North American dish (as anyone who has ever been caught overseas with a drumstick appetite can vouch). — Peter Mikelbank, PEOPLE.com, "How the Original American Princess — Grace Kelly — Celebrated Thanksgiving in Her New Home," 27 Nov. 2019 During that time, tubers can still utilize the midpoint launch or Dampier’s landing. — Patrick Connolly, orlandosentinel.com, "Ichetucknee Springs provides visitors a 3-hour natural lazy river tube run," 13 Aug. 2019 Cynthia Larbey, an archaeologist at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom and lead author of the new study, suspects that roasting tubers provided critical nutrition to our species. — Sarah Wild, Scientific American, "Scientists Find Early Evidence of Humans Cooking Starches," 22 June 2019 Orchid tubers are eaten as impotence fighters in Israel; bulbs, as aphrodisiacs in Turkey. — National Geographic, "Holographic elephants shine new light on tradition—and other innovations," 5 Nov. 2019 Dahlia tubers should be lifted after the first frost and before the ground freezes. — Washington Post, "Flood followed by drought equals a good year for melons," 5 Nov. 2019

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.