discharge tube

American  

noun

Electronics.

1. gas tube.

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discharge tube British  

noun

1. electronics an electrical device in which current flow is by electrons and ions in an ionized gas, as in a fluorescent light or neon tube

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discharge tube Scientific  

1. A closed vessel having electrodes at either end and containing a gas at low pressure. When a sufficient voltage is applied to the electrodes, an electric current flows through the gas. Discharge tubes can be used to prevent current flow below a certain voltage; they can also function as lamps by the use of ionizing gas, which glows when current flows through the tube.

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Etymology

Origin of discharge tube

First recorded in 1895–1900