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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.
When Amir is arrested on charges of attempting to create social unrest, Fatima embarks on a perilous journey with an old cathode-ray tube television and DVD player loaded onto a yak, determined to screen the film in remote villages. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Dec. 2025 Beyond its resemblance to a cathode-ray tube television set, it is said to have functional benefits over open fire pits and camp stoves. New Atlas, 31 Aug. 2025 His eponymous company manufactured cathode-ray tubes and in 1938 introduced one of the earliest electronic TV sets. IEEE Spectrum, 3 July 2025 But every early cathode-ray tube color television owed its screen’s red hue to europium, a rare earth element excavated and processed exclusively at the Mountain Pass Mine in San Bernardino County. Charlie Campbell, Time, 17 June 2025 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 Asuka Kawanabe, WIRED, 21 Aug. 2024 Chunky cathode-ray tube televisions sat on outdated furniture.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

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined above

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

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Cite this Entry

“Cathode-ray tube.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cathode-ray%20tube. Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.

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

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