noun
tubercle
TOO-ber-kul/ˈtuːbərkl/
A small rounded lump or projection on a surface.
A small tubercle forms a rounded bump on the cactus stem.
Etymology
A Latin “lump” becomes a “small swelling” through the diminutive ending. The same image describes a small rounded projection on a bone, plant, or other body part.
In context
the bacteria is surrounded, first by one white blood cell, and then by many, which creates this ball of calcifying tissue called a tubercle.
More examples
- The surgeon uses a tubercle on the bone as a landmark.
- Tiny tubercles give the leaf a rough texture.
- Each tubercle on the shell feels smooth and rounded.
Forms
tubercle · tubercles
Similar words
- bump
- An everyday word for a raised area on a surface.
- nodule
- A small, distinct lump, often within tissue rather than projecting.
- protuberance
- A projecting part that need not be small or rounded.