English

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Etymology

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By surface analysis, tubule +‎ -ar. The sense meaning "cool" or "awesome" is believed to be a figurative extension originating in surfing lingo, from the way that an excellent wave encloses a surfer within tubular walls of water.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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tubular (comparative more tubular, superlative most tubular)

  1. Shaped like a tube.
    tubular bell
    • 1950 March, H. A. Vallance, “On Foot Across the Forth Bridge”, in Railway Magazine, page 150:
      As we descended the long wooden stairway that leads from the central tower to the Island of Inchgarvie, the straight and simple outlines of the internal viaduct stood out in sharp contrast to the long sweep of the massive tubular arms of the cantilevers, and the complicated network of the lattice cross girders.
  2. Relating to, or composed of, tubes or tubules.
  3. (US, slang, dated) Cool, awesome.
    • 2007, Brian Laesch, The Verge of Psychosis: An Aspiring Actor's Journal:
      It was such a tubular party, Journal! But a few minutes later, I walked up to the Hermosa Beach Pier and left the girls with my things, thinking the totally bitchin' party would continue. But when I got back, they were all gone.

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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See also

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Catalan

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Pronunciation

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Adjective

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tubular m or f (masculine and feminine plural tubulars)

  1. tubular (shaped like a tube)
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Further reading

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Galician

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /tubuˈlaɾ/ [t̪u.β̞uˈlaɾ]
  • Rhymes: -aɾ
  • Hyphenation: tu‧bu‧lar

Adjective

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tubular m or f (plural tubulares)

  1. tubular (shaped like a tube)
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Interlingua

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Adjective

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tubular (not comparable)

  1. tubular, tube-shaped

Portuguese

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Pronunciation

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  • (Portugal) IPA(key): /tu.buˈlaɾ/ [tu.βuˈlaɾ]
    • (Southern Portugal) IPA(key): /tu.buˈla.ɾi/ [tu.βuˈla.ɾi]

  • Rhymes: (Portugal, São Paulo) -aɾ, (most of Brazil) -aʁ, (Southern Brazil) -aɻ
  • Hyphenation: tu‧bu‧lar

Adjective

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tubular m or f (plural tubulares)

  1. tubular (shaped like a tube)
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Romanian

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Borrowed from French tubulaire.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /tu.buˈlar/
  • Rhymes: -ar
  • Hyphenation: tu‧bular

Adjective

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tubular m or n (feminine singular tubulară, masculine plural tubulari, feminine and neuter plural tubulare)

  1. tubular

Declension

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Spanish

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /tubuˈlaɾ/ [t̪u.β̞uˈlaɾ]
  • Rhymes: -aɾ
  • Syllabification: tu‧bu‧lar

Adjective

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tubular m or f (masculine and feminine plural tubulares)

  1. tubular (shaped like a tube)
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Further reading

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