[ad. L. tubul-us, dim. of tubus TUBE; cf. F. tubule (Cotgr.).] A small tube; a minute tubular structure in an animal or plant body, as the Malpighian or uriniferous tubules of the kidney, the dentinal tubules of the teeth, etc.
1677. trans. Groeneveldt’s Treat. Stone, 19. The stone growing in the tubule or pelvis of the kidney.
1699. J. Woodward, in Phil. Trans., XXI. 211. Reduced to single Corpuscles, all fit to enter the Tubules and Vessels of Plants.
1867. J. Hogg, Microsc., II. i. 333. Contrivances to enable the tubules of the woody tissues to discharge their contents.
1869. Huxley, Phys., xii. 322. The chief constituent of a tooth is dentine…. It presents innumerable, minute, parallel, wavy tubules…. The wider ends of these tubules open into the pulp cavity.
Hence Tubulet [-ET], a minute tubule.
1826. Kirby & Sp., Entomol., III. xxxiii. 363. Tubulus (the Tubulet), The tube or retractile base of the Rostellum. Sighunculus (the Siphuncle), the real instrument of suction, which when unemployed is retracted within the tubulet.
