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x-ray

Primary Information
Secondary Information

Definition

X-rays are a type of radiation that can pass through matter. They are used in medical imaging to see inside the body.

X-rays are made when electrons are accelerated and hit a metal target. The electrons give up their energy and create X-rays.

X-rays are used to see bones, teeth, and other structures in the body. They are also used to detect cancer and other diseases.

How can the word be used?

The doctor took an x-ray of my broken arm.

x-ray

Different forms of the word

Noun: x-ray (plural: x-rays).

  • a type of electromagnetic radiation.
  • X-ray machine.

Adjective: x-ray.

Verb: to x-ray.

  • to examine with x-rays.

Etymology

The word "x-ray" is a calque of the German word "X-Strahl", coined by Wilhelm Röntgen upon his discovery of the rays in 1895, with "X" signifying their unknown nature.

The letter "X" in "X-ray" is used as a placeholder for an unknown quantity or entity. In the case of X-rays, the unknown quantity was the nature of the rays themselves. Röntgen did not know what the rays were made of or how they worked, but he knew that they could penetrate materials that were opaque to visible light.

Question

What are x-rays used for?