breathing tube

noun

plural breathing tubes

1

medical : a usually small plastic tube inserted (as through the nose or mouth) into the trachea especially to deliver oxygen or anesthesia to the lungs

… tracheostomy, a complication-prone and cosmetically undesirable insertion of a breathing tube through the neck.

—John Grossmann

especially : endotracheal tube

… her life is sustained by a breathing tube that hospital authorities are unwilling to disconnect.

—Judy Flander

Eventually, anesthesia was called to insert a breathing tube and Mrs. M was placed on a ventilator because she could not breathe adequately on her own.

—Kiran Gupta

2

: a tubular anatomical part through which air passes into or out of the body: such as

a

: a trachea or bronchial tube of an air-breathing vertebrate

… immediate help would be available to any student suffering anaphylaxis, the severe allergic reaction that can close off breathing tubes and send the body into shock.

—Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah

Bronchiectasis is abnormal dilation of the bronchi, the breathing tubes of the lungs.

—Paul G. Donohue

b

: one of the air-conveying tubules forming the respiratory system of most insects and many other arthropods : trachea sense 3

… tracheal mites, even tinier parasites, which attack bees' breathing tubes …

—Elizabeth Kolbert

Examples of breathing tube in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Facebook photos show Reeves surrounded by family in hospital A family member of Reeves posted multiple photos on Facebook showing the teenager lying in a hospital bed surrounded by a web of cords attached to medical equipment along with what appeared to be a breathing tube hooked up to his mouth. —Robert Anglen, The Arizona Republic, 20 Nov. 2024

With new interventions, doctors can save babies earlier in a woman’s pregnancy — as early as 22 weeks — resuscitating them at birth and placing small breathing tubes in their airways. —Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2024

Patrick had to be checked for a brain bleed and had a breathing tube put in, but the fact that more time wasn’t needed for CPR was a good thing, said Dr. Amged Abdelaziz, an interventional cardiologist who had been on-call that weekend for the DMC. —Darcie Moran, Detroit Free Press, 25 Oct. 2024

The protocol in Alabama calls for an inmate to be strapped to a gurney and fitted with a mask and a breathing tube. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 25 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

breathing tube

noun

1

: a trachea or bronchial tube of an air-breathing vertebrate

2

: trachea sense 2

3

: a usually small plastic tube inserted into the trachea through the mouth or nose to maintain an unobstructed passageway especially to deliver oxygen or anesthesia to the lungs

Medical Definition

breathing tube

noun

1

: a tubular anatomical part (as a trachea or bronchial tube) through which air passes into or out of the body of an air-breathing vertebrate

… immediate help would be available to any student suffering anaphylaxis, the severe allergic reaction that can close off breathing tubes and send the body into shock.

—Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah, The Chicago Tribune

Bronchiectasis is abnormal dilation of the bronchi, the breathing tubes of the lungs.

—Paul G. Donohue, The Springfield (Massachusetts) Union News

2

: a usually small plastic tube inserted (as through the nose or mouth) into the trachea especially to deliver oxygen or anesthesia to the lungs

… tracheostomy, a complication-prone and cosmetically undesirable insertion of a breathing tube through the neck.

—John Grossmann, Science 84

especially : endotracheal tube

Eventually, anesthesia was called to insert a breathing tube and Mrs. M was placed on a ventilator because she could not breathe adequately on her own.

—Kiran Gupta, The Boston Globe