x-ray

or X-ray

[ eks-rey ]

See synonyms for x-ray on Thesaurus.com

nounAlso x ray, X ray.

Physics.
- Often x-rays. a form of electromagnetic radiation, similar to light but of shorter wavelength and capable of penetrating solids and of ionizing gases.
- such radiation having wavelengths in the range of approximately 0.1–10 nanometers.
a radiograph made by x-rays.

(initial capital letter) a word in communications to represent the letter X.

verb (used with object)

to examine, photograph, or treat with x-rays.

adjective

of or relating to x-rays: x-ray examination of the digestive tract.
able to see through objects that are opaque:the x-ray vision of Superman and other superheroes.

able to clearly and keenly perceive or recognize something that is not outwardly visible: a teacher with x-ray intuition about her students.

Origin of x-ray

First recorded in 1895–1900; translation of German X-Strahl (1895), the name originally given to the rays by Röntgen, their discoverer, x signifying their unknown nature

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use x-ray in a sentence

All of these instruments orbit Earth, beyond the atmosphere that blocks X-rays and most ultraviolet light.
The Supermassive Black Hole Smokescreen | Matthew R. Francis | June 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Fahmy was taken to hospital over the weekend for x-rays, and magazines are now being delivered to their cell.
Al Jazeera Journalists Are On Trial in Egypt for Doing Their Jobs | Jesse Rosenfeld | March 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
That blade had gone through, and the X-rays revealed that the tip of the blade was on the edge of my aorta, the main artery.
The Black and White Men Who Saved Martin Luther King’s Life | Michael Daly | January 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The x-rays and medical information initially belonged to plastic surgeon Michael Gurdin, who began working with Leaf in 1975.
Marilyn Monroe Plastic Surgery Records to be Auctioned Off; Cara Delevingne May Star in Amanda Knox Film | The Fashion Beast Team | October 10, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Well, back when we started to get x-rays, doctors x-rayed the backs of people who came in with back pain.
The Most Dangerous Substance in America May Be Fertilizer | Megan McArdle | April 19, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST

The telephone, the wireless telegraph, the X-rays, and all the other great believers are singing up around it.
The Voice of the Machines | Gerald Stanley Lee
One of the curious properties of X-rays is that of rendering the air through which they pass a conductor of electricity.
Invention | Bradley A. Fiske
Scientific research, by the discovery of X-rays and new elements, more than equalled the pretensions of medival thaumaturgists.
Mr. Punch's History of Modern England Vol. IV of IV. | Charles L. Graves
"Very interesting X rays," said the young doctor with the red hair.
An Ounce of Cure | Alan Edward Nourse
Photography itself is on the side of illusion; but caricature has X-rays for the deformed fact.
George Cruikshank | W. H. Chesson

British Dictionary definitions for X-ray

X-ray

noun

- electromagnetic radiation emitted when matter is bombarded with fast electrons. X-rays have wavelengths shorter than that of ultraviolet radiation, that is less than about 1 × 10 –8 metres. They extend to indefinitely short wavelengths, but below about 1 × 10 –11 metres they are often called gamma radiation
- (as modifier): X-ray astronomy
a picture produced by exposing photographic film to X-rays: used in medicine as a diagnostic aid as parts of the body, such as bones, absorb X-rays and so appear as opaque areas on the picture

(usually capital) communications a code word for the letter x

verb(tr)

to photograph (part of the body, etc) using X-rays
to treat or examine by means of X-rays

Origin of X-ray

C19: partial translation of German X-Strahlen (from Strahl ray), coined by W. K. Roentgen in 1895

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for x-ray

x-ray

A high-energy stream of electromagnetic radiation having a frequency higher than that of ultraviolet light but less than that of a gamma ray (in the range of approximately 1016 to 1019 hertz). X-rays are absorbed by many forms of matter, including body tissues, and are used in medicine and industry to produce images of internal structures. See more at electromagnetic spectrum.
An image of an internal structure, such as a body part, taken with x-rays.

Cultural definitions for x-ray (1 of 2)

x-ray

A form of electromagnetic radiation with very high frequency and energy. X-rays lie between ultraviolet radiation and gamma radiation on the electromagnetic spectrum.

Notes for x-ray

Because x-rays can travel through solid material and affect photographic plates, they are widely used in diagnosing medical problems.

Notes for x-ray

Objects in the sky also send out x-rays in processes that use very high energy.

x-ray

A photograph or image obtained through the use of x-rays. An x-ray is taken when an image of internal body structures (such as bones or organs) is needed to diagnose disease or determine the extent of injuries.

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