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pixel

pixel

52 3.6
A tiny square on a screen that shows one color
  • noun
  • /ˈpɪksəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : píxel
  • The input to the neural network is the raw pixels of the game.
  • pixels per inch
  • bits per pixel
  • resolution of pixels

It's trying to smooth out the pixels for you on the fly.

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Examples

  • Note the center pixel is black, but this is not visible at print resolution.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Therefore, electronic displays are designed to minimize the pixel count, and electronic images are always pixel limited.

    Academic text (1992)
  • That is four times the pixel count of the Steam Deck.

  • So basically every single pixel has a row and a column.

  • Two million pixels of resolution.

  • Higher resolution normally requires more and smaller pixels on a chip of a given size.

    Academic text (1992)
  • To provide a safety margin, choose a resolution setting of 300 pixels/inch or greater.

    Academic text (2008)
  • It's got a higher-resolution display, which means more pixels, and they upgraded the camera.

  • A resolution of 240 pixels per inch will most always produce an acceptable print.

    Academic text (2008)
  • The image quality was amazing because it contained 12 million pixels.

Synonyms

pel
vspixel
  • Archaic
9 9.9

A tiny dot of color on a screen that helps make the picture

is the common modern name for that same unit
picture element
vspixel
  • Specialized
5.3

The smallest colored dot that makes a digital image on a screen

is the general common term used for that same image unit

Compounds

pixel peeper
  • Jargon
8.9

A person who looks closely at images to find tiny flaws

Surface Forms

pixel singular
pixels plural

Morphology

pixel = picture + element (semi-transparent) = pix + el

The term derives from 'picture' + 'element' (picture element), so the basic idea 'small part of an image' is recoverable, but the clipped/blended form 'pixel' (pix + el) and the technical usage make it not fully transparent to average learners.

Etymology

The word pixel comes from pix, short for picture, and el, from element, so it literally means 'picture element'. A pixel is the smallest dot or square that makes up the full image on a screen.