noun
tuba
TYOO-buh
noun
1
A large brass instrument, usually the lowest-pitched in the brass section, played by buzzing the lips into a mouthpiece and pressing valves.
"The tuba player held down the bass line at the back of the marching band."
"He's been learning the tuba since he was ten, and his lungs are stronger for it."
2
A reed stop on a pipe organ that imitates the sound of the brass instrument.
"The organist pulled out the tuba stop for the final, thunderous chord."
How to Use Tuba
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe big, low-pitched brass instrument you see wrapped around a player's body in a marching band.
Common pairings
play the tuba
tuba player
tuba section
Word Forms
tubas plural, tubas plural, tubae plural
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Etymology
Borrowed in the 1800s from French and German tuba, ultimately from Latin tuba, meaning "trumpet" — the same instrument used by Roman armies to signal troops.