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
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
To prevent this, the engine's hydrogen fuel runs through a heat exchanger to chill a liquid helium coolant that flows through a complex network of small tubes in the air inlet.
—
New Atlas, 19 July 2025
The company, owned by DuPont and based in Atlanta, makes tubes, catheters, medical balloons, packaging and more.
—Russ Wiles, AZCentral.com, 18 July 2025
The move is in response to research suggesting that lava tube systems are present on the moon and Mars and could provide shielding from those worlds' harsh radiation environments.
—Andrew Jones, Space.com, 17 July 2025
For the most serious, IDPH found that the facility failed to prevent unintended removals of ventilators and tracheostomy tubes, which help patients breathe, and failed to properly intervene for low blood sugar, ultimately leading to a patient’s death.
—Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tube
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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New Atlas, 19 July 2025
The company, owned by DuPont and based in Atlanta, makes tubes, catheters, medical balloons, packaging and more.
—Russ Wiles, AZCentral.com, 18 July 2025
The move is in response to research suggesting that lava tube systems are present on the moon and Mars and could provide shielding from those worlds' harsh radiation environments.
—Andrew Jones, Space.com, 17 July 2025
For the most serious, IDPH found that the facility failed to prevent unintended removals of ventilators and tracheostomy tubes, which help patients breathe, and failed to properly intervene for low blood sugar, ultimately leading to a patient’s death.
—Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tube
Cite this Entry
“Tube.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tube. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
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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