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Glite Dictionary
tricolor tube

tricolor tube

7.8
A part inside a color television that makes red, green and blue pictures
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : tubo tricolor
  • Early color televisions relied on a tricolor tube to display images in red, green, and blue.

Examples

  • The technician replaced the old tricolor tube to restore vibrant colors on the television.

  • A malfunction in the tricolor tube can cause distorted colors on the screen.

  • The tricolor tube revolutionized color television.

  • Many tricolor tubes were replaced by flat screens.

  • Early color televisions relied on a tricolor tube to display images in red, green, and blue.

  • A malfunction in the tricolor tube can cause distorted colors on the screen.

  • The technician replaced the old tricolor tube to restore vibrant colors on the television.

Synonyms

tricolor television tube
vstricolor tube
  • Archaic
6.1

A part of a television that uses three colors to make pictures

is the shorter name used in informal labels
color tube
vstricolor tube
  • Archaic
7.2

Part of a television that shows pictures in color

uses three primary color elements rather than naming specific phosphors
color television tube
vstricolor tube
  • Archaic
4.1

A large glass part inside old televisions that shows pictures in color

focuses on combining three primary elements to produce full spectrum
color TV tube
vstricolor tube
  • Archaic
3.5

A glass bulb inside older televisions that makes the screen show color pictures

specifies using three primary elements rather than general full color display

Surface Forms

tricolor tube singular
tricolor tubes plural

Morphology

tricolor + tube

The noun phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'tricolor' (using three colors) modifies 'tube', so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a tube that uses three colors to produce images. Although the term is somewhat technical (referring to a TV picture tube), the semantics are directly derivable from the constituents and follow normal English modification patterns.

Etymology

Tricolor tube comes from early color televisions where a glass tube inside the set used three color lights. Those lights, 'red', 'green', and 'blue', mixed to make all the colors on the screen, so tricolor tube means a TV picture tube that makes full color.