electronic device consisting of a system of electrodes arranged in an evacuated glass or metal envelope
"The old television set stopped working because a leak developed inside its vacuum tube, which is the core electronic component responsible for generating the image."
(anatomy) any hollow cylindrical body structure
"The surgeon carefully examined the damaged tube in his patient's intestine before performing the repair."
an electric railway operating below the surface of the ground (usually in a city)
"in Paris the subway system is called the `metro' and in London it is called the `tube' or the `underground'"
Anything that is hollow and cylindrical in shape.
"The old drain pipe was just a large, rusted tube lying across the garden path."
In plain English: A tube is a hollow, cylindrical object that you can put things inside or run wires through.
"She watched her favorite show on television through the tube in her living room."
provide with a tube or insert a tube into
"The doctor inserted a thin plastic tube down my throat to help me breathe during surgery."
place or enclose in a tube
"The lab technician carefully sealed the vial of liquid nitrogen inside a protective transport tube before sending it to the satellite facility."
To supply with, or enclose in, a tube.
"The technician carefully sealed the wound and then applied an ointment to it before wrapping his arm in a sterile bandage to keep everything secure."
In plain English: To tube means to travel by riding inside a long, enclosed vehicle that moves on tracks.
"He will tube himself into bed to rest after his long shift."
Usage: Use this verb when describing the action of inserting something into a hollow cylinder to create an enclosed space. It is distinct from simply placing an object inside without forming a sealed channel around it.
The London Underground
"She decided to take the tube to avoid the heavy rain outside."
The word "tube" comes from the Middle French tube, which was borrowed from the Latin tubus meaning a pipe or tube. Its ultimate origin is unclear, though it may be related to words for long trumpets or reed pipes.