Meanings
plural tubercles · alternative tubercule · alternative tuberculum
- anatomyA round nodule, small eminence, or warty outgrowth, especially those found on bones for the attachment of a muscle or ligament or small elevations on the surface of a tooth.
the iliac tubercles
1 more example
The four long white plumes which give the bird its altogether unique character, spring from little tubercles close to the upper edge of the shoulder or bend of the wing; they are narrow, gently curved, and equally webbed on both sides, of a pure creamy white colour.
1869, Alfred Russel Wallace, The Malay Archipelago, volume II, London: Macmillan and Co., page 41 - biologyA small rounded wartlike protuberance of the roots of some leguminous plants; the lip of certain orchids, cacti.
- medicineA small rounded nodule forming the characteristic lesion of tuberculosis.
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna protuberance on a bone especially for attachment of a muscle or ligament
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latintūberculum
- Englishtubercle
Derived from Latin tūberculum. Compare tuber.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan tubercle, tubercle
- tubercleround nodule on a bone
- tuberclewartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
Chinese Cantonese 結節 /结节
- 結節 /结节 (git³ zit³)wartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
Chinese Mandarin 結節 /结节
- 結節 /结节 (jíejíe)wartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
Czech hrbolek
- hrbolekround nodule on a bone
Dutch tuberkel, tuberkel
- tuberkelround nodule on a bone
- tuberkelcharacteristic lesion of tuberculosis
Finnish nysty, tuberkkeli
- nystyround nodule on a bone
- tuberkkeliround nodule on a bone
- nystermäround nodule on a bone
- nystyräwartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
- juurinystyräwartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
- tuberkkelicharacteristic lesion of tuberculosis
French tubercule
- tuberculewartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
German Tuberkel, Tuberkel
- Tuberkelround nodule on a bone
- Tuberkelcharacteristic lesion of tuberculosis
Latin tūberculum, tūberculum
- tūberculumround nodule on a bone
- tūberculumwartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
- tūberculumcharacteristic lesion of tuberculosis
Polish guzek, guzek
- guzekround nodule on a bone
- guzekwartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
- guzekcharacteristic lesion of tuberculosis
Portuguese tubérculo, tubérculo
- tubérculoround nodule on a bone
- tubérculowartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
- tubérculocharacteristic lesion of tuberculosis
Spanish tubérculo, tubérculo
- tubérculoround nodule on a bone
- tubérculowartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
- tubérculocharacteristic lesion of tuberculosis
Tagalog litbusngi
- litbusngiwartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
Cite this entry
tubercle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tubercle
“tubercle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tubercle. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tubercle,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tubercle.
Source: tubercle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.