electron tube

IPA/ɪlˈɛktɹɒn tjˈuːb/
IPA/ᵻlˈɛktɹɑːn tˈuːb/

electron tube — noun

1. A vacuum-sealed enclosure usually made of glass or metal, in which electrons mov

1.名詞C1
釋義

A vacuum-sealed enclosure usually made of glass or metal, in which electrons move between electrodes to control electrical signals. These components were widely used in radios, amplifiers, and early computers before transistors largely replaced them.

例句

Our antique radio still has its original electron tubes glowing inside.

countable noun; typical setting: vintage radio

During lab, the instructor showed how an electron tube directs current through a vacuum.

同義詞
  • vacuum tube

    The more common everyday term for the same device; 'vacuum tube' is preferred in general conversation.

  • valve

    Chiefly British term for the same component; common in UK electronics literature.

  • thermionic valve

    Full technical name; used in formal physics and engineering contexts.

反義詞
  • transistor

    The solid-state semiconductor device that largely replaced the electron tube in most applications.

用法筆記

The term 'electron tube' is largely synonymous with 'vacuum tube' and is most commonly encountered in discussions of vintage electronics, audio amplifiers, and the history of computing. Modern devices almost exclusively use transistors instead.

常見錯誤

❌This transistor radio uses four electron tubes.
✅This transistor radio uses transistors, not electron tubes.
💡Transistors replaced electron tubes in most consumer electronics from the 1960s onward.
❌An electron tube is the same as a light bulb.
✅An electron tube looks a bit like a light bulb, but it is designed to control electrical signals rather than just produce light.
💡Though both are glass bulbs with a vacuum inside, their purposes are completely different.