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 Web
Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2026
Rodents may dig up the tubers, so plant them in bulb baskets underground or in DIY cages made from chicken wire.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 12 Feb. 2026
To chit your seed potatoes, place the uncut tubers in a place with bright light and cool temperatures for a few days.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Feb. 2026
Gently bend a long vine back into the original pot and rest one of the small bead-like tubers directly on the soil surface.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tuber
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Noun
Chances are the tubers are still firm and ready for spring growth.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2026
Rodents may dig up the tubers, so plant them in bulb baskets underground or in DIY cages made from chicken wire.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 12 Feb. 2026
To chit your seed potatoes, place the uncut tubers in a place with bright light and cool temperatures for a few days.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Feb. 2026
Gently bend a long vine back into the original pot and rest one of the small bead-like tubers directly on the soil surface.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tuber
Cite this Entry
“Tuber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tuber. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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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