pix·el (p k s l, -s l )n. The basic unit of the composition of an image on a television screen, computer monitor, or similar display. |
pixel [ˈpɪksəl]
n
(Electronics & Computer Science / Computer Science) any of a number of very small picture elements that make up a picture, as on a visual display unit
[from pix pictures + el(ement)]
| pixel (pksl) The most basic unit of an image displayed on a computer or television screen or on a printer. Pixels are generally arranged in rows and columns; a given combination among the pixels of various brightness and color values forms an image.  A subpixel is one of three components of a pixel used in the representation of a color image. Each subpixel represents the contribution of a single color red, green, or blueto the overall color and brightness of the pixel.A Closer Look The images on a computer screen are composed of tiny dots called pixels (short for picture element). The computer controls each pixel individually. Most monitors have hundreds of thousands, or often millions, of pixels that are lit or dimmed to create an image. Each pixel of a color screen is made out of one red, one blue, and one green subpixel, generally arranged in a triangle, adjusted individually to create the combined effect of a single color but treated as a unit pixel for determining resolution. Pixels vary in size according to the size and resolution of the monitor. Smaller pixels provide higher resolution, and therefore sharper images, but require more memory to store the color and intensity data of each pixel and more processing time to refresh the screen. Resolution is frequently referred to in terms of dpi, or dots per inch. |   |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  pixel - (computer science) the smallest discrete component of an image or picture on a CRT screen (usually a colored dot); "the greater the number of pixels per inch the greater the resolution"constituent, element, component - an artifact that is one of the individual parts of which a composite entity is made up; especially a part that can be separated from or attached to a system; "spare components for cars"; "a component or constituent element of a system" raster - the rectangular formation of parallel scanning lines that guide the electron beam on a television screen or a computer monitor computer science, computing - the branch of engineering science that studies (with the aid of computers) computable processes and structures |
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