pixel

[ pik-suhl, -sel ]

noun

, Computers, Television.

1. the smallest element of an image that can be individually processed in a video display system.

pixel

/ ˈpɪksəl /

noun

1. any of a number of very small picture elements that make up a picture, as on a visual display unit

pixel

/ pĭk′səl /

1. The most basic unit of an image displayed on a computer or television screen or on a printer. Pixels are generally arranged in rows and columns; a given combination among the pixels of various brightness and color values forms an image.
2. ◆ A subpixel is one of three components of a pixel used in the representation of a color image. Each subpixel represents the contribution of a single color—red, green, or blue—to the overall color and brightness of the pixel.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pixel¹

1965–70; pix ² (in the sense “pictures”) + el(ement)

Word History and Origins

Origin of pixel¹

C20: from pix pictures + el ( ement )

A Closer Look

The images on a computer screen are composed of tiny dots called pixels (short for picture element ). The computer controls each pixel individually. Most monitors have hundreds of thousands, or often millions, of pixels that are lit or dimmed to create an image. Each pixel of a color screen is made out of one red, one blue, and one green subpixel , generally arranged in a triangle, adjusted individually to create the combined effect of a single color but treated as a unit pixel for determining resolution. Pixels vary in size according to the size and resolution of the monitor. Smaller pixels provide higher resolution, and therefore sharper images, but require more memory to store the color and intensity data of each pixel and more processing time to refresh the screen. Resolution is frequently referred to in terms of dpi, or dots per inch.

Example Sentences

Momentum grinding to a halt, the absurdities and indignities that unfolded before this point are all but forgotten, lost in a swirl of badly rendered pixels.

From Los Angeles Times

The VLT’s Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer instrument can take an image of the whole galaxy with each pixel broken down into a spectrum of different wavelengths.

From Science Magazine

The researchers then had that algorithm analyze satellite data from 1986 through 2018 and categorize each pixel to determine whether it was cultivated.

From Science Daily

Instead of a constant frame rate, they have smart pixels that record information every time they detect fast movements.

From Science Daily

Computer screens are made up of thousands of little pixels which are only able to show red, green, or blue.

From NewsForKids.net

Related Words

• pel