# pixel

/ˈpɪksəɫ/ (US) · /pˈɪksəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pixel
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. a dot of color

noun · CEFR B1 · Technical

one of the tiny dots of color that make up an image on a screen.

For teachers: the smallest addressable element in a raster image or on a display device.

- If you look very closely at your phone screen, you can almost see the individual pixels.
- Modern high-resolution displays pack millions of pixels into a small area, making the transition between colors appear perfectly smooth to the human eye.

### 2. a unit of measurement

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

a unit used to measure the size or sharpness of a screen or digital image.

For teachers: a unit of linear or area measurement used to define the resolution of digital displays and graphic files.

- The designer resized the logo to be exactly 200 pixels wide.
- The developer adjusted the CSS to ensure the container width was defined in pixels rather than percentages for more precise layout control.

### 3. to edit at the pixel level

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to create or change a digital image by working on each tiny dot one by one.

For teachers: to create, manipulate, or edit digital graphics at the level of individual pixels, often associated with 'pixel art'.

- She spent hours carefully pixeling the character for her retro-style video game.
- The artist preferred pixeling by hand rather than using automated filters to achieve a more authentic 8-bit aesthetic for the project.

## Examples

- The image looks blurry because the pixels are too large.
- High-resolution screens pack more pixels into every inch to create a sharper, more realistic picture.
- Digital restoration involves analyzing each individual pixel to correct color shifts and remove artifacts caused by the aging of the original film stock.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.