Tubers
/ˈtjuːbərz/noun
Thickened underground plant stems or roots that store food, such as potatoes and yams.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin *tuber*, meaning a swelling or hump, which is why the same root also gave English **tuberous** and even medical terms for lumps and swellings.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*teu-
“to swell, bulge”
Latin
Latin
tuber
“a swelling, lump, hump”
Late Latin
Latin
tuberosus
“full of lumps; knobby”
Middle French
French
tubercle
“a small swelling or lump”
Modern English
English
tuber
“an enlarged underground plant stem or root used for storage”
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