Word
tuber
Phoneticstu·ber, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈtubɝ/
UK/tjˈuːbɐ/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a thick underground part of a plant that stores food for the plant. Potatoes are the most common example.
n. a swollen underground plant stem or root that stores nutrients, enabling perennation and vegetative reproduction. Potatoes, yams and dahlias are canonical examples.
Examples
“We bake a large tuber with butter for lunch.”
“The farmer digs up potato tubers in autumn and stores them in a cool cellar.”
“After the first frost kills the leafy tops, the plant survives winter entirely within its tubers, which sprout again when warmth returns.”
Examples
simple
“We bake a large tuber with butter for lunch.”
contextual
“The farmer digs up potato tubers in autumn and stores them in a cool cellar.”
complex
“After the first frost kills the leafy tops, the plant survives winter entirely within its tubers, which sprout again when warmth returns.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “tuber” in context.
Verb
01. harvest tuber
“Farmers harvest tubers in autumn before the ground freezes.”
verb + noun
02. peel tuber
“Peel the tuber thinly and rinse it before cooking.”
verb + noun
03. plant tuber
“Gardeners plant tubers in early spring after the frost.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. dormant tuber
“Farmers keep the dormant tuber cool until spring planting.”
adj + noun
05. edible tuber
“Taro is an edible tuber widely grown across Asia.”
adj + noun
06. fleshy tuber
“Dahlia grows from a fleshy tuber that overwinters indoors.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. chunk of tuber
“Plant each chunk of tuber with one eye facing up.”
noun + prep + noun
08. eye of tuber
“New shoots emerge from the eye of the tuber in spring.”
noun + prep + noun
09. skin of tuber
“The skin of the tuber turns green in bright light.”
noun + prep + noun
10. harvest tubers in autumn
“They harvest tubers in autumn before the first frost.”
11. peel and slice the tuber
“Peel and slice the tuber thinly before roasting it.”
12. plant tubers in spring
“Farmers plant tubers in spring once the soil warms up.”
Real-World Examples
“This hybridization resulted in the development of the early potato plant's tuber, a swollen structure that stores nutrients underground.” Etymology
From Latin tūber (“bump, hump, swelling”).
tube + -er
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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