plural tubers
1
a
: 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
Glenn DrownsManioc flour, made from cassava (a starchy tuber), is available at many Latin American markets.—Paul Theroux
compare bulb, corm
Paul Theroux
b
: a fleshy root or rhizome resembling a tuber
2
plural tubers
: 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.
Jerry Gerlach et al.Skiers, snowboarders and snow tubers have seen everything Mother Nature can throw at them this winter.—Ron Leonardi
Ron LeonardiExamples of tuber in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebLauren Weber, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
When Columbus first came to Mona in 1494, there was a community cultivating a marvelous variety of fruits and tubers from a thin fringe of arable soil on the island’s western side.
—Carina Del Valle Schorske, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Planting the tubers just a half inch to an inch below the soil surface will help.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 5 Apr. 2024
While Jasiri looks like a black tuber with a head right now — correction, an adorable little tuber with a shock of black hair — in about 6 months, its fur will turn brown.
—John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024
Each slip has the potential to produce multiple tubers.
—Alex Groves, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024
But after harvesting and curing in the fall, the tuber can last for months, all the way into early spring.
—Anna Luisa Rodriguez, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
Wait for the tubers to send shoots up to the surface, and watch as the leaves and blooms appear on the water.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2024
Pick up bouquets of fresh-cut dahlias and order your favorites in tuber form for spring delivery.
—Elizabeth Brownfield, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Noun
Days a week 0 1 2 3 4 5
6
7
Cereals and tubers
Oil
Sugar
Seeds, beans, legumes
Vegetables
Protein-rich foods
Dairy products
Fruits
4.4
2.13
1.71
1.7
0.52
0.38
0.3
0.06
Source: IPC acute food insecurity analysis.
—Lauren Weber, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
When Columbus first came to Mona in 1494, there was a community cultivating a marvelous variety of fruits and tubers from a thin fringe of arable soil on the island’s western side.
—Carina Del Valle Schorske, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Planting the tubers just a half inch to an inch below the soil surface will help.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 5 Apr. 2024
While Jasiri looks like a black tuber with a head right now — correction, an adorable little tuber with a shock of black hair — in about 6 months, its fur will turn brown.
—John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024
Each slip has the potential to produce multiple tubers.
—Alex Groves, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024
But after harvesting and curing in the fall, the tuber can last for months, all the way into early spring.
—Anna Luisa Rodriguez, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
Wait for the tubers to send shoots up to the surface, and watch as the leaves and blooms appear on the water.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2024
Pick up bouquets of fresh-cut dahlias and order your favorites in tuber form for spring delivery.
—Elizabeth Brownfield, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tuber.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tuber
Cite this Entry
“Tuber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tuber. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tuber
noun
tu·ber
ˈt(y)ü-bər 
1
: a short fleshy usually underground stem (as of a potato plant) having tiny scalelike leaves each with a bud at its base that can produce a new plant compare bulb sense 1a, corm
2
: a fleshy root or rhizome that resembles a tuber
Medical Definition
tuber
noun
tu·ber
ˈt(y)ü-bər
: an anatomical prominence : tuberosity
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