pixel

American  

[pik-suhl, -sel] / ˈpɪk səl, -sɛl /

noun

Computers, Television.

1. the smallest element of an image that can be individually processed in a video display system.

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pixel British  

/ ˈpɪksəl /

noun

1. any of a number of very small picture elements that make up a picture, as on a visual display unit

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pixel Scientific  

/ pĭk′səl /

1. 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.

2. ◆ 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 blue—to the overall color and brightness of the pixel.

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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.

Etymology

Origin of pixel

1965–70; pix ² (in the sense “pictures”) + el(ement)

Example Sentences

Each pixel measures just 49 nanometers, which is about ten times smaller than the wavelength of visible light.

From Science Daily • Mar. 29, 2026

Also in here, albeit in a retro, pixel art style that may bring to mind the “Final Fantasy” series from its Super Nintendo days.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026

The VLT’s Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer instrument can take an image of the whole galaxy with each pixel broken down into a spectrum of different wavelengths.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 17, 2024

Instead, each pixel only sends a signal when it becomes brighter or darker.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2024

The neighbors of a pixel determine where the threshold should be set for that pixel.

From Library of Congress Workshop on Etexts by Library of Congress