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
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
Speaking with Ars, Abraham recalled how, as a teenager, the top floor of his parents' split-level Australian home would become a grueling sauna thanks to a combination of the summer sun outside and a gaming PC (with cathode ray tube monitor) hemorrhaging heat inside.
—Daniel Starkey, Ars Technica, 4 Sep. 2022
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
Imagine generations of children unacquainted with the chattering of angels lodged deep within the recesses of an old cathode ray tube TV.
—Veronique Greenwood, Discover Magazine, 13 June 2012
Home entertainment systems primarily consisted of bulky cathode ray tube TVs, VCRs and maybe a Nintendo 64 or PlayStation video game console.
—Jeremy Hsu, Discover Magazine, 30 July 2017
LCDs long ago ousted cathode ray tube (CRT) and plasma displays as the dominant consumer display tech.
—Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 25 June 2022
The ’90s may have been a simpler time technologically, a fact underscored by the cathode ray tube television sets and first-generation Apple Macintosh computers that populate the photos.
—New York Times, 3 Feb. 2022
Nam June Paik began that exchange with a cathode ray tube in 1963.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 28 May 2021
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Rahul Rao, Popular Science, 2 Nov. 2023
Speaking with Ars, Abraham recalled how, as a teenager, the top floor of his parents' split-level Australian home would become a grueling sauna thanks to a combination of the summer sun outside and a gaming PC (with cathode ray tube monitor) hemorrhaging heat inside.
—Daniel Starkey, Ars Technica, 4 Sep. 2022
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
Imagine generations of children unacquainted with the chattering of angels lodged deep within the recesses of an old cathode ray tube TV.
—Veronique Greenwood, Discover Magazine, 13 June 2012
Home entertainment systems primarily consisted of bulky cathode ray tube TVs, VCRs and maybe a Nintendo 64 or PlayStation video game console.
—Jeremy Hsu, Discover Magazine, 30 July 2017
LCDs long ago ousted cathode ray tube (CRT) and plasma displays as the dominant consumer display tech.
—Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 25 June 2022
The ’90s may have been a simpler time technologically, a fact underscored by the cathode ray tube television sets and first-generation Apple Macintosh computers that populate the photos.
—New York Times, 3 Feb. 2022
Nam June Paik began that exchange with a cathode ray tube in 1963.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 28 May 2021
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cathode ray.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near cathode ray
Cite this Entry
“Cathode ray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cathode%20ray. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
cathode ray
noun1
: one of the high-speed electrons driven in a stream from the heated cathode of a vacuum tube under the force of a strong electric field
2
: a stream of cathode-ray electrons
More from Merriam-Webster on cathode ray
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cathode ray
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