phototube

American

[foh-tuh-toob, -tyoob] / ˈfoʊ təˌtub, -ˌtyub /

noun

Electronics.

an electron tube with a photosensitive cathode, used like a photocell.

phototube British

/ ˈfəʊtəʊˌtjuːb /

noun

a type of photocell in which radiation falling on a photocathode causes electrons to flow to an anode and thus produce an electric current

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of phototube

First recorded in 1925–30; photo- + tube

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023