magnetron

noun

mag·ne·tron | \ ˈmag-nə-ˌträn

Definition of magnetron

: a vacuum tube in which the flow of electrons is controlled by an applied magnetic field to generate power at microwave frequencies

Examples of magnetron in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Understandably curious just what the heck had happened, Spencer ran another test with the magnetron. — Matt Blitz, Popular Mechanics, "The Amazing True Story of How the Microwave Was Invented by Accident," 24 Feb. 2016 Spencer earned several patents while working on more efficient and effective ways to mass-produce radar magnetrons. — Matt Blitz, Popular Mechanics, "The Amazing True Story of How the Microwave Was Invented by Accident," 24 Feb. 2016 So Percy Spencer, an engineer at Raytheon, was tasked with ramping up magnetron production. — Timothy J. Jorgensen, Smithsonian, "Hot Food, Fast: The Home Microwave Oven Turns 50," 16 Mar. 2017 During World War II, the American military couldn’t get enough magnetrons to satisfy their radar needs. — Timothy J. Jorgensen, Smithsonian, "Hot Food, Fast: The Home Microwave Oven Turns 50," 16 Mar. 2017 The air from the magnetron cooling will then be re-directed to the exterior. — Kevin Kelly, WIRED, "Using a Microwave to Melt Metal," 22 May 2007 Blame it on the magnetron, the cooking element of every microwave oven. — Randy Rieland, Smithsonian, "This Oven Could Change How We Cook," 17 Feb. 2017

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