thyratron

American

[thahy-ruh-tron] / ˈθaɪ rəˌtrɒn /

noun

Electronics.

a gas-filled, hot-cathode tube in which one or more control electrodes initiate, but do not limit and cannot interrupt, the flow of electrons.

thyratron British

/ ˈθaɪrəˌtrɒn /

noun

electronics a gas-filled tube that has three electrodes and can be switched between an `off' state and an `on' state. It has been superseded, except for application involving high-power switching, by the thyristor

"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 thyratron

1925–30; < Greek thýra door + -tron

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The casual amateur is the one who takes a picture of his baby from 20 feet away, forgets to wind his film, and cannot tell a thyratron from a r�seau.�

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