tubule

noun

tu·​bule ˈtü-(ˌ)byül How to pronounce tubule (audio)
ˈtyü-
: a small tube
especially : a slender elongated anatomical channel

Examples of tubule in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The remnants of the xylem and phloem — tubules that transport water, sugars and nutrients throughout living leaves — somehow become a root. Douglas Main, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2024 The glomerulus does the filtering, while the tubule sends blood and other crucial material back into the bloodstream. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2024 According to the National Cancer Insitute, renal cell cancer occurs when cancer cells are found in the lining of the tubules in the kidney. Joelle Goldstein, PEOPLE.com, 10 Sep. 2019 This may eventually compromise the underlying dentin, which is a tissue containing hollow canals called tubules. Korin Miller, SELF, 18 Apr. 2018 This can aggravate the tubules in your dentin, causing sensitivity, Dr. Wolff says. Korin Miller, SELF, 18 Apr. 2018 When food is nearby, the plasmodium forms a network of slender tubules that branch out in search of it, eventually finding the optimal path. Eoin O'Carroll, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Apr. 2018 Another project replaces the giant carbon-containment vessels for natural-gas storage with an intestine of tiny plastic tubules, allowing natural-gas tanks to fit any arbitrary shape as well as reducing the risk of catastrophic rupture. Tim O'Reilly, The Atlantic, 27 Oct. 2017 Old baleen splits like fingernails, which reveals its structure: each curved plate is two flat keratin layers with rows of tubules, like miniature coils of tightly rolled luncheon meat, sandwiched between. Jennifer S. Holland, Smithsonian, 1 Sep. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tubule.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin tubulus, diminutive of tubus

First Known Use

1677, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tubule was in 1677

Dictionary Entries Near tubule

Cite this Entry

“Tubule.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tubule. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tubule

noun
: a small tube
especially : a long slender channel in the body of a living thing

Medical Definition

tubule

noun
: a small tube
especially : a slender elongated anatomical channel

More from Merriam-Webster on tubule

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