Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Tube?

\Tube\, n. (Elec. Railways) A tunnel for a tube railway; also (Colloq.), a tube railway. [Chiefly Eng.]
\Tube\, n. [L. tubus; akin to tuba a trumpet: cf F. tube.] 1. A hollow cylinder, of any material, used for the conveyance of fluids, and for various other purposes; a pipe. 2. A telescope. ``Glazed optic tube.'' --Milton. 3. A vessel in animal bodies or plants, which conveys a fluid or other substance. 4. (Bot.) The narrow, hollow part of a gamopetalous corolla. 5. (Gun.) A priming tube, or friction primer. See under {Priming}, and {Friction}. 6. (Steam Boilers) A small pipe forming part of the boiler, containing water and surrounded by flame or hot gases, or else surrounded by water and forming a flue for the gases to pass through. 7. (Zo["o]l.) (a) A more or less cylindrical, and often spiral, case secreted or constructed by many annelids, crustaceans, insects, and other animals, for protection or concealment. See Illust. of {Tubeworm}. (b) One of the siphons of a bivalve mollusk. {Capillary tube}, a tube of very fine bore. See {Capillary}. {Fire tube} (Steam Boilers), a tube which forms a flue. {Tube coral}. (Zo["o]l.) Same as {Tubipore}. {Tube foot} (Zo["o]l.), one of the ambulacral suckers of an echinoderm. {Tube plate}, or {Tube sheet} (Steam Boilers), a flue plate. See under {Flue}. {Tube pouch} (Mil.), a pouch containing priming tubes. {Tube spinner} (Zo["o]l.), any one of various species of spiders that construct tubelike webs. They belong to {Tegenaria}, {Agelena}, and allied genera. {Water tube} (Steam Boilers), a tube containing water and surrounded by flame or hot gases.
\Tube\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Tubed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Tubing}.] To furnish with a tube; as, to tube a well.