pixel

pix (“pictures”), + el(ement); often taken to be a blend of “picture” and “element”. The ⟨x⟩ stems from the abbreviation pics being sometimes also written as pix, which has been in use since the 1880s. First attested in 1965.^[1]

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɪksəl/, /ˈpɪksɛl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪksəl

pixel (plural pixels)

1. One of the tiny dots that make up the representation of an image in a computer's memory.
   • 1965 April, Fred C. Billingsley, “Digital Video Processing at JPL”, in Eugene B. Turner, editor, Electronic Imaging Techniques I, Proceedings of SPIE, volume 3, Los Angeles:

     We have chosen to sample at a 500 KC rate and we define each one of these samples as a picture element or pixel. We have sampled each pixel with 6-bit accuracy which is commensurate with the signal/noise ratio and the data accuracy.

   • 2015 August, Dominik Guggisberg et al., “Mechanism and control of the eye formation in cheese”, in International Dairy Journal‎^[2], volume 47, Elsevier, →DOI, pages 118–127:

     In the tomographic images of the 30-day-old cheeses, the gantry had to be removed with image processing techniques: first, the binarised image (grey level larger than 10⁴) was eroded with a disk of three pixels.

2. One of the squares that make up a work of pixel art or a zoomed-in image in a computer.
3. A unit of measure used in screen displays, resolutions, and similar visual media that represents either linear measure or area.

• pel (rare)
• pictel (dated)
• px

• gigapixel
• kilopixel
• macropixel
• megapixel
• micropixel
• terapixel

pixel (third-person singular simple present pixels, present participle pixeling or pixelling, simple past and past participle pixeled or pixelled)

1. To create computer graphics by editing individual pixels.
   • 2006, NFGMan, Character Design for Mobile Devices, page 110:

     Whether he's pixeling for cellphones or PCs, here is one artist who has a unique and imaginative vision.

• Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “pixel”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

• pixel on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• plexi

Borrowed from English pixel.

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɪk.səl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: pi‧xel

pixel m (plural pixels, diminutive pixeltje n)

1. pixel

   Synonym: beeldpunt

• megapixel
• pixelig

Borrowed from English pixel.

• IPA^(key): /pik.sɛl/

• Audio:

  (file)

pixel m (plural pixels)

1. (computing) pixel

Borrowed from English pixel.^[1]

• IPA^(key): [ˈpiksɛl]
• Hyphenation: pi‧xel
• Rhymes: -ɛl

pixel (plural pixelek)

1. (computing) pixel (one of the tiny dots that make up the representation of an image in a computer's memory)

• megapixel

Borrowed from English pixel, abbreviation of "picture element".

pixel m (definite singular pixelen, indefinite plural pixeler or pixler, definite plural pixelene or pixlene)

1. (computing) alternative form of piksel

The plural forms pixler and pixlene are not listed officially, but are in common use, and also occur in Danish (as pixler and pixlerne).

• “pixel” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Unadapted borrowing from English pixel.

pixel m (plural pixels or (proscribed) pixeis)

1. alternative form of píxel
   • 1997, Bobbi Linkemer, Secretária eficiente, NBL Editora, →ISBN, page 118:

     Use um protetor de tela cuja função será desgastar cada pixel de sua tela por igual, solicitando-o alternadamente e conferindo movimentos aleatórios. Se não usar esse programa, os pontos coloridos que incidem sempre nos mesmos pixeis da tela por horas contínuas irão consumi-lo apresentando uma descoloração da tela nesses mesmos pontos.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

The prescribed adaptation of the unadapted borrowing pixel is píxel, rendering the plural píxeis. Thus, the prescribed plural of pixel is the English plural pixels instead of pixeis, since the later does not correspond to the pronunciation of the word as a paroxytone.^[1]

• IPA^(key): /piɡˈsel/ [piɣ̞ˈsel]
• Rhymes: -el
• Syllabification: pi‧xel

pixel m (plural pixeles)

1. alternative spelling of píxel

• “pixel”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024

pixel c

1. (computing) a pixel

   Synonym: bildpunkt

• pixel in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• pixel in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)