phototube

P3H4O1T1O1T1U1B3E1

noun

A gas-filled electron tube that has a photosensitive cathode.

OriginEnglish tube ← Middle French tube ← Latin tubus →
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

nounphototube (plural phototubes)

plural phototubes

  1. A gas-filled electron tube that has a photosensitive cathode.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰéh₂os
  3. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáwos
  4. Ancient Greekφᾰ́ος (phắos)
  5. Ancient Greekφῶς (phôs)
  6. Ancient Greekφωτο- (phōto-)
  7. Englishphoto-
  8. Latintuba
  9. Latintubus
  10. Middle Frenchtube
  11. Englishtube
  12. Englishphototube

From photo- + tube.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 光電管 /光电管
  • 光電管 /光电管 (guāngdiànguǎn)gas-filled electron tube
German Photozelle
  • Photozellegas-filled electron tube
Polish fotokomórka
  • fotokomórkagas-filled electron tube
Spanish fototubo
  • fototubogas-filled electron tube
Cite this entry
APA

phototube. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phototube

MLA

“phototube.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phototube. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “phototube,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phototube.

Source: phototube on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.