a. [ad. F. tubéreux, -euse (Paré, c. 1550), ad. L. tūberōsus, f. tūber, TUBER2: see -OUS.]
1. Anat., Zool., etc. Of the form of, or constituting, a tuber or rounded projection; covered with such projections; knobbed, knobby. Now rare.
1650. Bulwer, Anthropomet., iii. 63. This forehead is … neither globous nor tuberous as the forehead of women.
1678. Ray, Willughby’s Ornith., II. xv. § 2. 182. A broad circle of naked, tuberous, white flesh compasses the Eyes, as in the Carriers.
1804. Shaw, Gen. Zool., V. 208. Tuberous Carp…. Carp with thirteen rays in the anal fin, and slightly tuberous body.
2. Path. Affected with tubers or morbid swellings; of the nature of such a swelling; characterized, as a disease, by such swellings.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Tuberous, full of bunches, swellings, wennes or knots.
1762. R. Guy, Pract. Obs. Cancers, 150. The tuberous Vessels were rather fuller than ordinary.
1834. Cooper, Good’s Study Med. (ed. 4), I. 353. The origin of vascular tuberous growths.
1900. J. Hutchinson, in Arch. Surg., XI. 73. His face was covered with tuberous acne.
3. Bot. a. Of the nature of a tuber; chiefly in tuberous root, (a) a tuber, or an underground stem bearing tubers (see TUBER2 1); (b) more strictly, a true root (usually one of a cluster) thickened so as to resemble a tuber, but bearing no buds; as in the lesser celandine and the dahlia.
1668. Tuberous roots [see TUBER2 1].
1730. Martyn, in Phil. Trans., XXXVI. 385. Their Roots are either bulbous, tuberous, or consisting of thick, fleshy Fibres.
1776. Withering, Brit. Plants (1796), IV. 346. Peziza tuberosa.… Stem growing at the base to a blackish fungous tuberous substance.
1807. J. E. Smith, Phys. Bot., 140. The knobs of genuine tuberous roots, like the potatoe, are studded with them [buds].
1872. Oliver, Elem. Bot., I. vii. 66. When the branches or fibres of a root become thickened in this way, as … in the Garden Dahlia, the root is said to be tuberous.
b. Of a plant: Producing or bearing tubers; tuberous-rooted.
1664. Evelyn, Kal. Hort., Sept. (1729), 218. Tuberous Indian Jacinth.
1786. Abercrombie, Gard. Assist., 51. Bulbous and tuberous irises.
1861. Miss Pratt, Flower. Pl., IV. 55. Tuberous Comfrey. Ibid., VI. 56. Tuberous Fox-tail.
4. Comb. Tuberous-rooted a., having a tuberous root (in either sense: see 3 a).
1721. Mortimer, Husb., II. 226. Irises are both bulbous and tuberous Rooted.
1808. Knight, in Phil. Trans., XCIX. 174. Such tuberous rooted plants as the potatoe.
1914. Daily Mail, 31 Jan., 9/2. The planting of tuberous-rooted anemones and ranunculuses.
Hence Tuberously adv.; Tuberousness.
1681. Grew, Musæum, III. I. i. 255. The tuberousness of the Bone in some places.
1847–9. Todd’s Cycl. Anat., IV. 133/2. This disease produces … irregular tuberousness of the hand.
a. 1891. Bull. of Ill. State Laboratory, II. 28 (Cent. Dict.). Tuberously.
