What does kinescope mean?
A kinescope is an electronic picture tube associated with the early development of television. In a television receiver, it uses an electron beam to scan an image and display it on the inside of a glass screen; related designs were also used as camera tubes. During the mid-20th century, these tubes made television practical, although they were large, fragile, and relatively energy-intensive. The term is now mainly historical, since solid-state displays and flat-panel screens replaced conventional kinescopes in consumer television. It can still appear in discussions of broadcasting history, museum collections, and vintage electronics. The word combines Greek elements meaning “movement” and “to look,” reflecting the scanning motion that produced the image.
nounA cathode-ray picture tube used to display television images, especially in early television equipment. The term is now largely historical, although it may also refer to a television camera tube in specialized contexts.
- A cathode-ray tube that produces and displays an image in a television receiver or monitor.
- A television camera tube in which an electron beam scans an image-forming target.
"The technician adjusted the kinescope until the test pattern became clear."
"The museum displays a 1950s television with a rounded kinescope."
"Engineers adjusted the kinescope to correct the distortion in the camera's image."
The plural is used when referring to multiple television picture tubes or related tubes.
"Several kinescopes were stored in the workshop."
Before flat-panel televisions became standard, a kinescope was the bulky glass picture tube at the heart of a television set.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does kinescope come from?
Kinescope is formed from Greek kínēsis, meaning movement, and skopéin, meaning to look or examine. The name refers to the scanning motion of an electron beam across the image-forming surface. It became established in the language of early television engineering, when such tubes were central to the development of broadcast television.
Related word forms
How kinescope is actually used
The word is chiefly historical or technical. In modern general usage, “television” or “picture tube” is more natural; in engineering contexts, “cathode-ray tube” is often preferred.