X-ray tube

noun

: a vacuum tube in which a concentrated stream of electrons strikes a metal target and produces X-rays

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

X-ray tube

noun

: a vacuum tube in which a concentrated stream of electrons from a cathode strikes a metal target and produces X-rays from the side of the tube at right angles in a quantity and intensity that is controlled by the cathode temperature and with a wavelength and hardness that depends upon the voltage applied to the tube terminals