Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "tushen" na iya bambanta dangane da mahallin da aka yi amfani da shi. Ga wasu ma’anoni kaɗan da za a iya samu:A cikin tsirrai, tushen shine ɓangaren tsiro wanda yawanci ke kwance ƙasa da saman ƙasa kuma yana sha ruwa da abubuwan gina jiki daga ƙasa. A cikin ilmin lissafi, tushen lamba ne wanda idan aka ninka shi da kansa adadin lokuta, yana daidai da ƙima. Misali, tushen murabba'in 9 shine 3, domin 3 da aka ninka da kansa yayi daidai da 9. A cikin ilimin harshe, tushen shine asalin asalin kalmar da ke ɗauke da ainihin ma'anarta kuma galibi ana iya gyara ta ta prefixes. ko kari don ƙirƙirar sabbin kalmomi. A cikin kwamfuta, tushen yana nufin mafi girman matakin samun dama ga tsarin kwamfuta ko hanyar sadarwa, galibi mai gudanarwa ko wani mai amfani mai gata ke riƙe. Kamar yadda yake. fi’ili, to tushen na iya nufin kafawa ko kafu, kamar yadda yake a cikin “Na yi tushen kaina a cikin wannan al’umma”. Hakanan yana iya nufin a bincika sosai, kamar a cikin "Ina rooting ta cikin kabad don takalmana da suka ɓace."