gas-discharge tube
- noun
- /ɡæs dɪsˈtʃɑrdʒ tuːb/
- Specialized
- She explained how a gas-discharge tube is used in neon signs to produce vibrant colors.
Examples
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The CG820 series bipolar gas-discharge tube has a mechanical outline similar to a standard fuse, allowing it to be mounted within equipment using a standard clip.
Academic text (1998) -
He was studying gas discharge tube in electric fields.
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So they operated gas discharge tube, gas discharge tube with mercury vapor.
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The technician replaced the faulty gas-discharge tube to restore the lighting in the laboratory.
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In the display, a gas-discharge tube illuminated brightly, creating a colorful show of lights.
Synonyms
A glass container filled with neon gas that glows when electricity passes through it
A lamp that makes light when electricity passes between two metal points inside a gas
A lamp that makes light when electricity passes through gas in a glass tube
A lamp that makes light by passing electricity between two metal parts inside a glass tube
A glass or metal tube filled with gas that makes light when electricity passes through it
A partly empty glass container that makes glowing rays when electricity passes through it and helped find electrons
Surface Forms
Morphology
gas-discharge + tube
The compound is fully compositional: 'gas' + 'discharge' + 'tube' denotes a tube in which a discharge occurs in a gas, so a learner who knows those words can infer it refers to a device where electrical discharge passes through gas. It is a standard noun‑noun technical naming pattern (cross‑linguistically common), so despite some specialized details (sealed, electrical), the core meaning is predictable from the constituents.
Etymology
Gas-discharge tube comes from a simple image: a glass tube full of gas where an electric discharge, 'a sudden flow of electricity', jumps through the gas and often makes light. So the name simply describes what it is: a tube where gas lights up when electricity is released.