US /ˈtuːbɚ/ UK /ˈtjuːbə/
noun Freq #68115

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    a thickened underground plant stem or root that stores nutrients and can produce new growth

    A potato is a stem tuber rich in stored starch.

  2. 2
    noun

    anatomy: a rounded swelling or projection on a body part

    The scan showed a small tuber on the surface of the bone.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · a thickened underground... storage organ
2 noun · anatomy: a rounded swelling... protuberanceswelling
Word family
Forms tubers
Derived forms tuberoustuberize
Related forms tuberclerhizomebulbpotato

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin tuber, 'swelling, hump, or knob.' Botany applied the shape word to a swollen underground storage organ, while anatomy retained the older general sense of a rounded projection.

Topics

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