The Collaborative International Dictionary
Tube \Tube\, n. [L. tubus; akin to tuba a trumpet: cf F. tube.]
A hollow cylinder, of any material, used for the conveyance of fluids, and for various other purposes; a pipe.
A telescope. ``Glazed optic tube.''
--Milton.A vessel in animal bodies or plants, which conveys a fluid or other substance.
(Bot.) The narrow, hollow part of a gamopetalous corolla.
(Gun.) A priming tube, or friction primer. See under Priming, and Friction.
(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.
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(Zo["o]l.)
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.
One of the siphons of a bivalve mollusk.
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(Elec. Railways) A tunnel for a tube railway; also (Colloq.), a tube railway; a subway. [Chiefly Eng.]
Note: In the New York area, the subways running under the Hudson River are sometimes referred to as the tube.
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.
Water tube \Wa"ter tube`\
(Zo["o]l.) One of a system of tubular excretory organs having external openings, found in many invertebrates. They are believed to be analogous in function to the kidneys of vertebrates. See Illust. under Trematodea, and Sporocyst.
Any tube for passing or holding water; specif., in some steam boilers, a tube in which water circulates and steam is generated.
Usage examples of "water tube".
The man carried Paul's banner on its staff -- the green and black banner with a water tube in the staff -- that already was a legend in the land.
Pulling his stillsuit's water tube to his mouth, he drew in an unsatisfying sip of warm water.
She thrust the water tube through the rubber doughnut seal on the side of the germination box and administered a measured squirt, and gave the box an extra shake to break up the shimmering globule of liquid that formed.
If the water tube was no longer properly connected insidi the collar ring, the only way to fix the problem was to re-seal the collar.
It was the green banner of the Atreides with its day and night symbols, its Dune staff which concealed a water tube.