pixel

noun

pix·​el ˈpik-səl How to pronounce pixel (audio)
-ˌsel
plural pixels
1
: any of the small discrete elements that together constitute an image (as on a television or digital screen)
If the ball is flying from left to right across a video screen, a pixel at one fixed location on the screen will get darker and darker as time ticks on because it depicts points farther and farther to the left on the ball.Frédo Durand et al.
2
: any of the detecting elements of a solid-state optical sensor (such as a CCD or CMOS device)
The team used a new CCD detector that has an 8,192 by 8,192 pixel array, which makes it the world's largest astronomical CCD.Astronomy
the … CMOS image sensor provides a 9-µm pixel size …Mathew Dirjish

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Is it pixelated or pixilated?

Pixelated is used to describe digital images in which individual pixels are discernable, as when you look closely at a large photo and can see the tiny dots that make up the image. Pixilated (coined from pixie, a pixie being a cheerful, mischievous sprite) is usually used to describe things considered whimsical, or people who seem dazed or lost in thought. While pixelated is a late 20th century coinage, pixilated has been in use since the mid-19th century.

Examples of pixel 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.
With that in mind, the Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4’s result doesn’t look so impressive, with the display at just 80 nits and the letterboxing around the video not illuminating its OLED pixels. PCMAG, 27 Nov. 2024 The new Spectacles offer a 46 degree field of view at a resolution of 37 pixels per degree, providing impressively sharp visuals via optical waveguides and liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) micro-projectors. Moin Roberts-Islam, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024 The display renders at a resolution of 37 pixels per degree, which is very high for a digital image. Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 24 Nov. 2024 In the final mosaics, the sun’s diameter is almost 8,000 pixels across. Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pixel 

Word History

Etymology

pix + element

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pixel was in 1965

Dictionary Entries Near pixel

Cite this Entry

“Pixel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pixel. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

pixel

noun
pix·​el ˈpik-səl How to pronounce pixel (audio)
-ˌsel
: any of the small elements that together make up an image (as on a television screen) or sensor (as in a camera)
Etymology

from pix, an altered form of pictures, and element

More from Merriam-Webster on pixel

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