electron tube

electron tube

n.

A sealed enclosure, either highly evacuated or containing a controlled quantity of gas, in which electrons can be made sufficiently mobile to act as the principal carriers of current between at least one pair of electrodes.

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electron tube

n

(Electronics) an electrical device, such as a valve, in which a flow of electrons between electrodes takes place Also called vacuum tube Sometimes shortened to tube

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electron tube

A sealed glass tube containing either a vacuum or a small amount of gas, in which electrons move from a negatively charged electrode, the cathode, to a positively charged one, the anode. The cathode is usually heated by an electric current to free the electrons. Other electrodes in the tube can vary the electric or magnetic fields in the tube to control the strength and direction of the moving electrons. Electron tubes are used to amplify signals, rectify AC currents, and produce x-rays, among other uses. They have been mostly replaced by transistors but are still used in television screens, computer monitors, and microwave technology. Also called valve. See also vacuum tube.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

electron tube - electronic device consisting of a system of electrodes arranged in an evacuated glass or metal envelope thermionic tube, thermionic vacuum tube, thermionic valve, vacuum tube, tube acorn tube - a small vacuum tube; used at high frequencies anode - a positively charged electrode by which electrons leave an electrical device cathode - a negatively charged electrode that is the source of electrons entering an electrical device circuit, electric circuit, electrical circuit - an electrical device that provides a path for electrical current to flow diode, rectifying tube, rectifying valve - a thermionic tube having two electrodes; used as a rectifier electrode - a conductor used to make electrical contact with some part of a circuit electronic device - a device that accomplishes its purpose electronically electron multiplier - a vacuum tube that amplifies a flow of electrons gas-discharge tube - a tube in which an electric discharge takes place through a gas control grid, grid - an electrode placed between the cathode and anode of a vacuum tube to control the flow of electrons through the tube klystron - an electron tube used to generate or amplify electromagnetic radiation in the microwave region by velocity modulation magnetron - a diode vacuum tube in which the flow of electrons from a central cathode to a cylindrical anode is controlled by crossed magnetic and electric fields; used mainly in microwave oscillators pentode - a thermionic tube having five electrodes plate - the positively charged electrode in a vacuum tube television pickup tube, television-camera tube - a tube that rapidly scans an optical image and converts it into electronic signals tetrode - a thermionic tube having four electrodes triode - a thermionic vacuum tube having three electrodes; fluctuations of the charge on the grid control the flow from cathode to anode which makes amplification possible X-ray tube - a vacuum tube containing a metal target onto which a beam of electrons is directed at high energy for the generation of X rays