tuba

noun

tu·​ba ˈtü-bə How to pronounce tuba (audio)
ˈtyü-
: a large low-pitched brass instrument usually oval in shape and having a conical tube, a cup-shaped mouthpiece, and a usual range an octave lower than that of the euphonium
tubaist noun
or tubist
ˈtü-bist How to pronounce tuba (audio)
ˈtyü-

Illustration of tuba

Illustration of tuba

Examples of tuba in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Finn plays the tuba in the school band and his mom helped lead the charge to raise money to save the program. Rachel Wegner, The Tennessean, 4 July 2025 In his early 20s and on the brink of stardom — signed to the indie label DEL Records — Camacho stood confidently in the middle of the stage with his band Los Plebes del Rancho with a pumping tuba that commanded attention and his mesmerizing requinto. Griselda Flores, Billboard, 25 Feb. 2025 San Franciscans had fun with it, marking historic firsts: The San Francisco Chronicle recorded the first person to walk across the bridge on stilts, pushing a stroller, on roller skates, on a unicycle and while playing a tuba. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Jan. 2025 Dropping a tuba to twerk, split and run back in formation. Ariana Triggs, The Tennessean, 14 Feb. 2024 See All Example Sentences for tuba

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from Latin, trumpet

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tuba was in 1852

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tuba.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tuba. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

tuba

noun
tu·​ba ˈt(y)ü-bə How to pronounce tuba (audio)
: a brass musical instrument of lowest pitch with an oval shape and valves for producing different tones

More from Merriam-Webster on tuba

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