Standard Lemma guide

tubercle

noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • t(y)o͞o′bər-kəl
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈt(j)uː.bə.kəl/
  • Canada, General-American: /ˈt(j)u.bəɹ.kəl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /ˈt(j)ʉː.bə.kəl/
  • Scotland: /ˈt(j)ʉ.bəɹ.kəl/
  • India: /ˈʈ(j)uː.bɜː(ɾ).kel/
  • India: /ˈʈ(j)uː.bəɾ.kel/
  • rhymes with -uːbə(ɹ)kəl

1

noun

Meaning 1

A 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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences

Examples

  • the iliac tubercles

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A small rounded wartlike protuberance of the roots of some leguminous plants; the lip of certain orchids, cacti.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A small rounded nodule forming the characteristic lesion of tuberculosis.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: medicine, pathology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a protuberance on a bone especially for attachment of a muscle or ligament

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tuberosity, eminence

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: process, outgrowth, appendage

Narrower terms: deltoid tuberosity, deltoid eminence

5

noun

Meaning 5

small rounded wartlike protuberance on a plant

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: nodule

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: plant process, enation

6

noun

Meaning 6

a swelling that is the characteristic lesion of tuberculosis

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: lesion

History

Etymology

Derived from Latin tūberculum. Compare tuber.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: tubercle — round nodule on a bone
  • Czech: hrbolek — round nodule on a bone
  • Dutch: tuberkel — round nodule on a bone
  • Finnish: nysty — round nodule on a bone
  • Finnish: tuberkkeli — round nodule on a bone
  • Finnish: nystermä — round nodule on a bone
  • German: Tuberkel — round nodule on a bone
  • Latin: tūberculum — round nodule on a bone
  • Polish: guzek — round nodule on a bone
  • Portuguese: tubérculo — round nodule on a bone
  • Spanish: tubérculo — round nodule on a bone
  • Armenian: պալարիկ (palarik) — wartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
  • Catalan: tubercle — wartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
  • Chinese Cantonese: 結節 /结节 (git3 zit3) — wartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
  • Chinese Mandarin: 結節 /结节 (jíejíe) — wartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
  • Min Nan Chinese: 結節 /结节 (kiat-chiat) — wartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
  • Finnish: nystyrä — wartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
  • Finnish: juurinystyrä — wartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
  • French: tubercule — wartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
  • Ido: tuberkulo — wartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
  • Latin: tūberculum — wartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
  • Polish: guzek — wartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
  • Portuguese: tubérculo — wartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
  • Spanish: tubérculo — wartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
  • Tagalog: litbusngi — wartlike protuberance on the roots of some plants
  • Armenian: պալար (palar) — characteristic lesion of tuberculosis
  • Dutch: tuberkel — characteristic lesion of tuberculosis
  • Finnish: tuberkkeli — characteristic lesion of tuberculosis
  • German: Tuberkel — characteristic lesion of tuberculosis
  • Latin: tūberculum — characteristic lesion of tuberculosis
  • Polish: guzek — characteristic lesion of tuberculosis
  • Portuguese: tubérculo — characteristic lesion of tuberculosis
  • Spanish: tubérculo — characteristic lesion of tuberculosis