linear accelerator
1
7.0
- noun
- /ˈlɪniər əkˈsɛləˌreɪtər/
- Specialized
:
acelerador lineal
- The new linear accelerator at the hospital can accelerate particles to nearly the speed of light, enhancing cancer treatment effectiveness.
- energy-recovery linear accelerator
So they built the world's most powerful electron linear accelerator, or elinac.
- So they built the world's most powerful electron linear accelerator, or elinac.
Examples
-
The radiation is delivered with a linear accelerator, the same machine used in traditional external radiation, twice a day for one week.
Blog text (5) -
Linear accelerators have now replaced 60Co units for almost all external-beam radiation treatment.
Academic text (1995) -
A similar issue would be whether the power company could provide adequate power circuits for complex medical technology such as linear accelerators.
Academic text (1992) -
Linear accelerators require extensive dosimetry and quality management, further enhancing the need for oversight by medical physicists.
Academic text (1995) -
Treatment areas, however, are centrally located around three high-voltage linear accelerator vaults and a brachytherapy suite.
Academic text (1996) -
Currently averaging twenty-five patients per day, Kennewick has announced plans to expand its cancer services with a freestanding building and a dual-energy linear accelerator.
Academic text (1993) -
In the 1960s, 60 Co units began to be replaced by linear accelerators designed to produce intense, sharply defined beams of high-energy (a few MeV) x-rays.
Academic text (1995) -
Researchers are excited about the capabilities of the linear accelerator to improve radiation therapy for various types of tumors.
-
During the experiment, the team used a linear accelerator to generate high-energy particles for their particle physics research.
Synonyms
48
7.1
A machine that makes particles move faster for scientific study
11
5.5
A machine that makes tiny charged particles move faster for science or medicine
A machine that makes tiny charged particles move very fast in a straight line
How Powerful
- Specialized
12
9.1
- Specialized
2
9.9
- Specialized
3
9.9
- Specialized
11
5.5
- Specialized
1
7.0
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'linear' (in a straight line) combined with 'accelerator' (a device that increases speed) clearly yields 'a device that accelerates along a straight path.' While the full technical details are specialized, a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the core meaning, and this compounding pattern is straightforward and cross-linguistically common.
Etymology
The name linear accelerator comes from how the machine works: linear means 'in a straight line' and an accelerator is something that 'makes faster'. It uses electric forces to speed tiny charged particles along that straight line, so the name tells you what the device does.