1. Plural of kenotron; vacuum tubes designed to serve as high-voltage rectifiers, historically used in high-voltage power supplies and X-ray equipment.
Usage: technical; electronics; dated

Examples

• The old X-ray machine relied on kenotrons to convert alternating current to direct current.
• Kenotrons were essential components in mid-20th-century high-voltage power supplies.
• Engineers replaced the failing kenotrons with modern solid-state rectifiers.
• The laboratory's vintage equipment still contained several kenotrons in working condition.