tun

noun

ˈtən How to pronounce tun (audio)
Definition of tunnext
as in barrel
an enclosed wooden vessel for holding beverages in olden days an English ship's capacity was measured by the number of tuns of wine it could hold

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tun The similarities suggest the mechanism may be a common trigger for tuns and other forms of hardy dormancy, a phenomenon that scientists call cryptobiosis. — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 17 Jan. 2024 Under these forms of stress, tardigrades curl up into a temporary, protective state of dormancy called a tun. — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 17 Jan. 2024 Under stressful conditions, with cysteine unavailable to the free radicals being produced, the tardigrades couldn’t form tuns. — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 17 Jan. 2024

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tumulus
tun
tundra
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“Tun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tun. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tun

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tun

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