cathode ray

noun

Definition of cathode ray

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

Recent Examples of cathode ray from the Web

As Gaming Editor Kyle Orland described the concept: Her Story takes place entirely within the creaky interface of a late-'90s database terminal, complete with a cathode ray tube screen that reflects the fluorescent lights behind you.

— nathan mattise, Ars Technica, "Shall we play a game? WarGames gets interactive reboot from Her Story dev," 6 Dec. 2017
Items that will be collected at the event for a cash only fee include television sets ($25 each) and cathode ray tube computer monitors ($10 each).

— milwaukee, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Pewaukee will host electronics recycling collection at Waukesha County Technical College," 31 Oct. 2017
Clearly, the 1998 Compaq Presario 2200 desktop computer reigns supreme in every measurable way: battery life, a tactical keyboard, utilization of cathode ray tube technology.

— ashwin rodrigues, Fortune, "New iPhones to Give Stiff Competition to the 1998 Compaq Presario 2200," 14 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cathode ray.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.