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Definition of "magnetron" [mag•ne•tron]

  • A microwave tube in which electrons generated from a heated cathode are affected by magnetic and electric fields in such a way as to produce microwave radiation used in radar and in microwave ovens. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "magnetron" in a sentence
  • "The device consists of the magnetron from a 600-watt domestic microwave oven and concentrates its power into a volume of just one cubic centimetre."
  • "Inside a microwave oven, a device known as a magnetron converts electrical power into short radio waves, which are absorbed by water, fats and sugars found in food, heating them up."
  • "There were also components from a microwave oven labelled magnetron."