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tube
tube / t(y)oōb/ • n. 1. a long, hollow cylinder of metal, plastic, glass, etc., for holding or transporting something, chiefly liquids or gases. ∎ the inner tube of a bicycle tire. ∎ material in such a cylindrical form; tubing: the firm manufactures steel tube for a wide variety of applications. 2. a thing in the form of or resembling such a cylinder, in particular: ∎ a flexible metal or plastic container sealed at one end and having a screw cap at the other, for holding a semiliquid substance ready for use: a tube of toothpaste. ∎ a rigid cylindrical container: a tube of lipstick. ∎ Anat., Zool., , & Bot. a hollow cylindrical organ or structure in an animal body or in a plant (e.g., a Eustachian tube, a sieve tube). ∎ (tubes) inf. a woman's fallopian tubes. ∎ a woman's close-fitting garment, typically without darts or other tailoring and made from a single piece of knitted or elasticized fabric: [as adj.] stretchy tube skirts. ∎ (in surfing) the hollow curve under the crest of a breaking wave. 3. (the tube) Brit., inf. the subway system in London. ∎ a train running on this system: I caught the tube home. 4. a sealed container, typically of glass and either evacuated or filled with gas, containing two electrodes between which an electric current can be made to flow. ∎ a cathode-ray tube, esp. in a television set. ∎ (the tube) inf. television: another wasted evening, sitting in front of the tube. ∎ a vacuum tube. • v. [tr.] [usu. as adj.] (tubed) provide with a tube or tubes: [in comb.] a giant eight-tubed hookah. PHRASES: go down the tubes (or tube) inf. be completely lost or wasted; fail utterly: we watched his political career go down the tubes.DERIVATIVES: tube·less adj. tube·like / -ˌlīk/ adj. |
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"tube." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "tube." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-tube.html "tube." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-tube.html |
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tube
tube. Collapsible container for paints. It was devised in 1841 by John G. Rand (1801–73), an American portrait painter working in London, and was commercially manufactured very soon afterwards. Before this time, artists either mixed their own paints or bought them in rather cumbersome bladders or in metal cylinders that were emptied by means of a piston and could be refilled at the colourman's shop. With the success of the tube, the preparation of paints now passed from the studio to the factory and the painter lost part of his character as craftsman. Moreover, a less fluid consistency had to be given to oil paints to make them suitable for packing in tubes, and other ingredients had to be added during manufacture in order to ensure that the pigments would stay suspended in the oil. Consequently manufactured paints do not flow from the brush as those of the Old Masters used to do and a stiffer, shorter brush is needed for handling them or a diluent must be used. The tube, therefore, brought about a quiet revolution in painting technique. Furthermore the availability of ready-made paints in tubes made the practice of painting out of doors in oils much easier (see plein air) and also encouraged artists to experiment with a much wider range of colours instead of mixing the smaller number with which they were familiar.
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IAN CHILVERS. "tube." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. IAN CHILVERS. "tube." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O2-tube.html IAN CHILVERS. "tube." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O2-tube.html |
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tube
tube (tewb) n. (in anatomy) a long hollow cylindrical structure, e.g. a Fallopian tube.
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"tube." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "tube." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-tube.html "tube." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-tube.html |
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tube
tube XVII. — F. tube or L. tubus, rel. to tuba (see prec.).
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T. F. HOAD. "tube." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "tube." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-tube.html T. F. HOAD. "tube." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-tube.html |
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tube
tube in electronics: see electron tube . |
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"tube." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "tube." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-tube.html "tube." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-tube.html |
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tube
tube
•boob, cube, droob, j'adoube, jube, lube, rube, tube
•jujube • Danube
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"tube." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "tube." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-tube.html "tube." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-tube.html |
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