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vacuum tube

vacuum tube

5 5.3
A glass or metal tube with empty space inside that controls electricity
  • noun
  • /ˈvæk.juːm tuːb/
  • Archaic
translation icon : tubo de vacío
  • They were first making vacuum tube amplifiers.
  • vacuum tube radios

So I believe the Russian military does have some stock like vacuum tube technology because it's, it's EMP proof.

Examples

  • For solar heat, check out vacuum tube collectors or other ones made for it.

    Blog text (6)
  • You see how those vacuum tubes are brown?

    Blog text (4)
  • And it had one of them vacuum tubes.

  • Just a very long vacuum tube seems to be incredibly fragile and vulnerable.

  • Only, instead of mechanical parts, you see, you've got thousands of individual vacuum tubes.

  • Yes, I agree with you that vacuum tubes are more appealing than transistors.

    Blog text (12)
  • Luckily for us, the vacuum tube is a nonlinear amplifier.

  • Back in the 1960s, when vacuum tubes ruled, it was simple and inexpensive to make most repairs.

    Blog text (9)
  • The classic electroacoustic hearing aid has been based on analog signal processing since the introduction of the first vacuum-tube amplifiers used for this purpose during the 1930s.

    Academic text (1998)
  • Half a century ago, vacuum tubes were very common in audio amplifiers.

Synonyms

tube
vsvacuum tube
  • Archaic
65 8.8

An old glass part used in radios and sound equipment to make sound louder

is limited to control of current rather than highlighting amplification or rectification
cathode-ray tube
vsvacuum tube
  • Archaic
1 6.0

A large glass device in old TVs and computer screens that makes pictures with a beam of electrons

is the general electric control device rather than one made for forming images
pentode
vsvacuum tube
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A glass tube with five metal parts that makes electrical signals stronger

is the general vacuum device not limited to five electrodes or only amplification
electron tube
vsvacuum tube
  • Archaic
6.9

A glass or metal device that controls electric current in old radios and televisions

is the common name rather than the formal technical label
thermionic tube
vsvacuum tube
  • Archaic
9.8

A glass or metal device that controls the flow of electricity in old radios and machines

is the common general term for that same vacuum device
thermionic vacuum tube
vsvacuum tube
  • Archaic
8.3

A glass or metal tube that uses heat to make electricity flow without air

is the general device term not focused on the emission method
thermionic valve
vsvacuum tube
  • Archaic
9.9

An electronic device in a sealed glass tube that controls electric current in old radios

is the general modern term not tied to older equipment
tetrode
vsvacuum tube
  • Archaic
9.9

A vacuum tube with four metal parts that amplifies electrical signals

is the general device with no specific electrode count or fixed switching role
television tube
vsvacuum tube
  • Archaic
5.9

A glass tube inside old TVs that makes the picture on the screen

is a broader current control device, not specifically for translating signals to pictures
television-camera tube
vsvacuum tube
  • Archaic
9.6

A device used in old television cameras to change an image into electronic signals

is the general vacuum device rather than one for optical scanning and conversion
X-ray tube
vsvacuum tube
  • Specialized
4.0

A tube with no air that makes X rays when fast electrons hit metal

is a control device not a component made to produce radiation for imaging

Surface Forms

vacuum tube singular
vacuum tubes plural

Morphology

vacuum + tube

The compound is directly compositional: 'vacuum' (an empty space) + 'tube' (a hollow/cylindrical object) yields a tube containing a vacuum, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a hollow device with the air removed. The precise technical function as an electronic amplifier requires extra domain knowledge but does not obscure the basic, transparent relation between the parts.

Etymology

The noun vacuum tube comes from its literal design: a glass tube with the air removed so there is a vacuum inside. With the air gone, metal parts inside can control the flow of electricity like a 'valve', so the name explains why the device controls electric current.