Etymology Map
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Tube

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a long hollow cylinder

Where does the word "tube" come from? It comes from Latin tubus, passing through French before entering English (1610s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
tubus
Latin · ancient
"pipe"
related to 'tuba', trumpet
2
Stage 2 of 3
tube
French · 1500s
"pipe"
English first used it in the 1590s for hollow passages in the body; the sense 'railway tunnel' dates from 1847
3
Stage 3 of 3
tube
English · 1610s
"pipe"
London's 'Tube' dates from 1900; 'the tube' for TV from the 1950s
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Read the full story

Tube’s story begins in Latin: tubus meant “pipe.” Related to 'tuba', trumpet. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in French as tube. English first used it in the 1590s for hollow passages in the body; the sense 'railway tunnel' dates from 1847. It reached English by 1610s as tube. London's 'Tube' dates from 1900; 'the tube' for TV from the 1950s. Today, tube means a long hollow cylinder.