Definition

Noun: A television tube is the cathode-ray tube (CRT) inside a television receiver. Its function is to translate an incoming electronic television signal into a visible picture by projecting a beam of electrons onto a luminescent screen, causing it to glow and form an image.

Usage

The term television tube specifically refers to the main picture-producing component in older, CRT-based television sets. It is a technical term.

Examples

• The old television set stopped working because its television tube had burned out.
• Before flat-screen technology, every TV contained a large, heavy television tube.
• Technicians needed special training to repair or replace a television tube.

Advanced Usage

• The term is largely historical, as modern televisions use LCD, LED, or plasma panels. It is now primarily used when discussing the technology of vintage televisions or the history of electronics.
• It can be used metonymically to refer to the television set itself, though this is less common.
  • He spent all evening staring at the television tube.

Variants and Related Words

• Picture tube: A common synonym for television tube.
• Cathode-ray tube (CRT): The broader technical category of vacuum tube to which a television tube belongs. All television tubes are CRTs, but not all CRTs are television tubes (e.g., oscilloscope tubes).
• Kinescope: An older, brand-name term for a television picture tube.
• CRT television: A term for the entire television set that uses a cathode-ray tube.

Synonyms

• Picture tube
• CRT (in the context of televisions)

Antonyms

• Flat-panel display
• LCD screen
• LED screen
• Plasma screen

Related Phrases/Idioms

• Boob tube: (Slang, idiomatic) A derogatory term for a television set, indirectly referencing the television tube. It suggests the medium is for mindless viewing.
  • Turn off the boob tube and go read a book.

Noun

1. a cathode-ray tube in a television receiver; translates the received signal into a picture on a luminescent screen