ETYM Latin bulbus, Greek bolbos: cf. French bulbe.
1. A modified bud consisting of a thickened globular underground stem serving as a reproductive structure.
2. A rounded dilation or expansion in a canal or vessel or organ.
3. A rounded part of a cylindrical instrument (usually at one end).
Underground bud with fleshy leaves containing a reserve food supply and with roots growing from its base. Bulbs function in vegetative reproduction and are characteristic of many monocotyledonous plants such as the daffodil, snowdrop, and onion. Bulbs are grown on a commercial scale in temperate countries, such as England and the Netherlands.