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thermionic valve

American  

noun

British.
  1. vacuum tube.


thermionic valve British  

noun

  1. an electronic valve in which electrons are emitted from a heated rather than a cold cathode

"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 thermionic valve

First recorded in 1915–20