thoracostomy tube - definition of thoracostomy tube by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

tube (t

b, ty

a. A hollow cylinder, especially one that conveys a fluid or functions as a passage.

b. An organic structure having the shape or function of a tube; a duct: a bronchial tube.

2. A small flexible cylindrical container sealed at one end and having a screw cap at the other, for pigments, toothpaste, or other pastelike substances.

3. Music The cylindrical part of a wind instrument.

4. Electronics

a. An electron tube.

b. A vacuum tube.

5. Botany The lower, cylindrical part of a gamopetalous corolla or a gamosepalous calyx.

6. Chiefly British

a. An underground railroad tunnel.

b. An underground railroad system, especially the one in London, England.

7. A tunnel.

a. An inner tube.

b. An inflatable tube or cushion made of rubber or plastic and used for recreational riding, as behind a motor boat or down a snow-covered slope.

9. Informal

a. Television: What's on the tube?

b. A television set.

10. tubes Informal The fallopian tubes.

v. tubed, tub·ing, tubes

v.tr.

1. To provide with a tube; insert a tube in.

2. To place in or enclose in a tube.

v.intr.

To ride or float on an inflated tube for recreation.

Idiom:

down the tubes/tube Slang

Into a state of failure or ruin: saw her plans go down the tubes.

[French, from Old French, from Latin tubus.]

tube

Noun

1. a long hollow cylindrical object, used for the passage of fluids or as a container

2. a flexible cylinder of soft metal or plastic closed with a cap, used to hold substances such as toothpaste

3. Anat any hollow cylindrical structure: the Fallopian tubes

4. the tube Brit the underground railway system in London

5. Electronics See cathode-ray tube

6. Slang, chiefly US a television set [Latin tubus]

tubeless adj

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun	1.	tube - conduit consisting of a long hollow object (usually cylindrical) used to hold and conduct objects or liquids or gases tubing barrel, gun barrel - a tube through which a bullet travels when a gun is fired blowgun, blowpipe, blowtube, blow tube - a tube through which darts can be shot by blowing blow tube, blowpipe, blowtube - a tube that directs air or gas into a flame to concentrate heat cannula - a small flexible tube inserted into a body cavity for draining off fluid or introducing medication capillary, capillary tube, capillary tubing - a tube of small internal diameter; holds liquid by capillary action catheter - a thin flexible tube inserted into the body to permit introduction or withdrawal of fluids or to keep the passageway open cigarette holder - a tube that holds a cigarette while it is being smoked coil - tubing that is wound in a spiral chromatography column, column - a vertical glass tube used in column chromatography; a mixture is poured in the top and washed through a stationary substance where components of the mixture are adsorbed selectively to form colored bands conduit - a passage (a pipe or tunnel) through which water or electric wires can pass; "the computers were connected through a system of conduits" drain - tube inserted into a body cavity (as during surgery) to remove unwanted material hosepipe, hose - a flexible pipe for conveying a liquid or gas inner tube - an inflatable rubber tube that fits inside the casing of a pneumatic tire mouthpiece - the tube of a pipe or cigarette holder that a smoker holds in the mouth pea shooter - a straight narrow tube through which pellets (as dried peas) can be blown at a target pipage, pipe, piping - a long tube made of metal or plastic that is used to carry water or oil or gas etc. pipe, tobacco pipe - a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco silencer - short tube attached to the muzzle of a gun that deadens the sound of firing siphon, syphon - a tube running from the liquid in a vessel to a lower level outside the vessel so that atmospheric pressure forces the liquid through the tube speaking tube - a tube for conveying the sound of a voice from one room to another stem - the tube of a tobacco pipe stent - a slender tube inserted inside a tubular body part (as a blood vessel) to provide support during and after surgical anastomosis drinking straw, straw - a thin paper or plastic tube used to suck liquids into the mouth test tube - glass tube closed at one end torpedo tube - a tube near the waterline of a vessel through which a torpedo is fired venturi - a tube with a constriction; used to control fluid flow (as in the air inlet of a carburetor) well point, wellpoint - a perforated tube driven into the ground to collect water from the surrounding area
	2.	tube - electronic device consisting of a system of electrodes arranged in an evacuated glass or metal envelope electron tube, thermionic tube, thermionic vacuum tube, thermionic valve, vacuum tube acorn tube - a small vacuum tube; used at high frequencies anode - a positively charged electrode by which electrons leave an electrical device cathode - a negatively charged electrode that is the source of electrons entering an electrical device circuit, electric circuit, electrical circuit - an electrical device that provides a path for electrical current to flow diode, rectifying tube, rectifying valve - a thermionic tube having two electrodes; used as a rectifier electrode - a conductor used to make electrical contact with some part of a circuit electronic device - a device that accomplishes its purpose electronically electron multiplier - a vacuum tube that amplifies a flow of electrons gas-discharge tube - a tube in which an electric discharge takes place through a gas control grid, grid - an electrode placed between the cathode and anode of a vacuum tube to control the flow of electrons through the tube klystron - an electron tube used to generate or amplify electromagnetic radiation in the microwave region by velocity modulation magnetron - a diode vacuum tube in which the flow of electrons from a central cathode to a cylindrical anode is controlled by crossed magnetic and electric fields; used mainly in microwave oscillators pentode - a thermionic tube having five electrodes plate - the positively charged electrode in a vacuum tube television pickup tube, television-camera tube - a tube that rapidly scans an optical image and converts it into electronic signals tetrode - a thermionic tube having four electrodes triode - a thermionic vacuum tube having three electrodes; fluctuations of the charge on the grid control the flow from cathode to anode which makes amplification possible X-ray tube - a vacuum tube containing a metal target onto which a beam of electrons is directed at high energy for the generation of X rays
	3.	tube - a hollow cylindrical shape pipe cylinder - a surface generated by rotating a parallel line around a fixed line
	4.	tube - (anatomy) any hollow cylindrical body structure tube-shaped structure anatomical structure, bodily structure, body structure, complex body part, structure - a particular complex anatomical part of a living thing; "he has good bone structure" tubule - a small tube salpinx - a tube in the uterus or the ear cochlea - the snail-shaped tube (in the inner ear coiled around the modiolus) where sound vibrations are converted into nerve impulses by the organ of Corti vas, vessel - a tube in which a body fluid circulates anatomy, general anatomy - the branch of morphology that deals with the structure of animals
	5.	tube - 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'" metro, subway, subway system, underground railroad, railroad line, railway, railway line, railway system - line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
Verb	1.	tube - provide with a tube or insert a tube into furnish, provide, supply, render - give something useful or necessary to; "We provided the room with an electrical heater"
	2.	tube - convey in a tube; "inside Paris, they used to tube mail" bring, convey, take - take something or somebody with oneself somewhere; "Bring me the box from the other room"; "Take these letters to the boss"; "This brings me to the main point"
	3.	tube - ride or float on an inflated tube; "We tubed down the river on a hot summer day" ride - be carried or travel on or in a vehicle; "I ride to work in a bus"; "He rides the subway downtown every day"
	4.	tube - place or enclose in a tube enclose, enfold, envelop, enwrap, wrap - enclose or enfold completely with or as if with a covering; "Fog enveloped the house"