pixel

Meaning

1. 1nouncountablecomputing

   One of the tiny dots of light that together form the picture on a screen or the content of a digital image.

   Grammar: Countable: one pixel, a million pixels.

   Patterns

   • a pixel of something
   • pixels per inch

   Zoom in far enough and you can see each individual pixel of the photo.

   A dead pixel left a small black dot on my monitor.

   The icon is only sixteen pixels wide.

Word forms

Common combinations

dead pixel

I returned the laptop because of a dead pixel near the corner.

pixel count

A higher pixel count does not always mean a better camera.

pixels per inch

The tablet has a density of over three hundred pixels per inch.

pixel art

My brother draws retro-style pixel art for video games.

a million pixels

The sensor captures about twelve million pixels in each shot.

Synonyms and how they differ

dot

Dot is a general word for any small mark, while pixel is the specific smallest unit of a digital display.

picture element

Picture element is the full formal name that pixel was shortened from, and appears mostly in technical writing.

point

Point is used for a position or a printed dot, whereas pixel names a controllable screen unit.

Word family

pixelated adjective

showing blocky, visible pixels because the image is enlarged too much

pixelate verb

to display or blur an image into large blocks

pixelation noun

the blocky look of an over-enlarged image

megapixel noun

one million pixels

Commonly confused: pixel or voxel?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “pixel”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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