cathode ray
noun
1
cathode rays plural
: the high-speed electrons emitted in a stream from the heated cathode of a vacuum tube
2
: a stream of electrons emitted from the cathode of a vacuum tube
—usually used in plural
Examples of cathode ray in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The company produced cathode ray oscilloscopes, which helped finance his experiments with television.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 3 July 2025
At this point, any serious retro gamer knows that a bulky cathode ray tube (CRT) TV provides the most authentic, lag-free experience for game consoles that predate the era of flat-panel HDTVs (i.e,.
—Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024
The cathode rays Crookes observed in his vacuum tubes were as evanescent as any ghost.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
Moreover, the electrons have about the same energy as those inside an old-style cathode ray tube television: again, a pittance by particle accelerator standards.
—Rahul Rao, Popular Science, 2 Nov. 2023
In the United States at least, the cathode ray tube technology that yielded television in the 1950s remained pretty much unchanged from the 1950s until the 2000s.
—Amy Shira Teitel, Discover Magazine, 7 Sep. 2017
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.
IEEE Spectrum, 3 July 2025
At this point, any serious retro gamer knows that a bulky cathode ray tube (CRT) TV provides the most authentic, lag-free experience for game consoles that predate the era of flat-panel HDTVs (i.e,.
—Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024
The cathode rays Crookes observed in his vacuum tubes were as evanescent as any ghost.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
Moreover, the electrons have about the same energy as those inside an old-style cathode ray tube television: again, a pittance by particle accelerator standards.
—Rahul Rao, Popular Science, 2 Nov. 2023
In the United States at least, the cathode ray tube technology that yielded television in the 1950s remained pretty much unchanged from the 1950s until the 2000s.
—Amy Shira Teitel, Discover Magazine, 7 Sep. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Cathode ray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cathode%20ray. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share