x-ray
/ˈɛks ˌɹeɪ/
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.57 in modern English
Meaning
noun
A ray of short-wavelength electromagnetic radiation usually produced by bombarding a metal target in a vacuum. Used to create images of the internal structure of objects; this is possible because X-rays pass through most objects and can expose photographic film.
noun
A radiograph: an image made with X-rays.
noun
An X-ray machine, a machine for performing radiography.
noun
A tactical motif where a piece exerts influence or control over a square, piece, or line indirectly through another intervening piece.
verb
To take a radiograph of; to obtain an image of using X-ray radiation, especially for the purpose of medical diagnostic evaluation.
Informal; Transitive verb
verb
Of a piece, to exert indirect influence, by either attacking, defending, or controlling an opponent's or friendly piece through an intervening piece along a rank, file, or diagonal.
Transitive verb
noun
Alternative letter-case form of X-ray.
Example Sentences
- "X-rays are light with a wavelength between 0.1 and 10 nm."
- "The doctor ordered some X-rays of my injured wrist."
- "And this friendly was not without its injury worries, with defender Gary Cahill substituted early on after a nasty, needless push by Dries Mertens that caused him to collide with goalkeeper Joe Hart, an incident that left the Chelsea defender requiring a precautionary X-ray at Wembley."
- "Of course there was nothing wrong with my left wrist. They X-rayed the wrong arm!"
- "1925, Sidney Coe Howard, They Knew What They Wanted (Doubleday, Page and Company), Act II, page 116. Both legs broken in the morning. Tibia, fibula, femur, and ischium. X-rayed and set inside of an hour after the accident."
- "I had to put my bags through an X-ray scanner at the airport."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈɛks ˌɹeɪ/
- British English: /ˈɛks ɹeɪ/
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Medicine.