cathode-ray tube

noun

: a vacuum tube in which a beam of electrons is projected on a phosphor-coated screen to produce a luminous spot at a point on the screen determined by the effect on the electron beam of a variable magnetic field within the tube

Examples of cathode-ray tube in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The original peripherals worked on cathode-ray tube televisions, but here they have been updated. Asuka Kawanabe, WIRED, 21 Aug. 2024 Chunky cathode-ray tube televisions sat on outdated furniture. Christopher Muther, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 2023 But the original games would have had cathode-ray tube (CRT) screens, which—as anybody using a camera back then would remember—can be difficult to capture. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 3 Mar. 2023 However, those retro game screens were made from cathode-ray tube (CRT), which meant when the cameras were rolling, the images were not clear. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 27 Feb. 2023 For example batteries need to be removed from cellphones and older, cathode-ray tube television sets require special handling due to their lead content. Carina Woudenberg, Discover Magazine, 13 May 2021 Douglas created a game of tic-tac-toe, which was also displayed on a cathode-ray tube, for the University of Cambridge EDSAC computer. Noah Wardrip-Fruin, The Conversation, 29 Nov. 2021 Seven years later, Boris Rosing first transmitted silhouetted images of geometric shapes, using a cathode-ray tube receiver. Kevin Dayhoff, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, 9 Oct. 2020 The idea of a big screen with a fixed connection will be as alien to the second half as landlines and cathode-ray tubes are to today’s youngsters. The Economist, 8 June 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cathode-ray tube was in 1905

Dictionary Entries Near cathode-ray tube

Cite this Entry

“Cathode-ray tube.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cathode-ray%20tube. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

cathode-ray tube

noun
: a vacuum tube in which a beam of electrons is projected upon a fluorescent screen and produces a glowing spot

Medical Definition

cathode-ray tube

noun
: a vacuum tube in which a beam of electrons is projected on a fluorescent screen to produce a luminous spot

More from Merriam-Webster on cathode-ray tube

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!