gas tube
–noun | an electron tube the envelope of which contains a highly rarefied gas. |
Origin: 1805–15
discharge tube
n. A closed insulating vessel containing a gas at low pressure through which an electric current flows when sufficient voltage is applied to its electrodes. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Science Dictionary
discharge tube
A closed vessel having electrodes at either end and containing a gas at low pressure. When a sufficient voltage is applied to the electrodes, an electric current flows through the gas. Discharge tubes can be used to prevent current flow below a certain voltage; they can also function as lamps by the use of ionizing gas, which glows when current flows through the tube.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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