X-ray or xray?
x-ray is a noun meaning “A ray of short-wavelength electromagnetic radiation usually produced by…”; xray is a noun meaning “A radiotelephony clear-code word for the letter X”. x-ray is written with a hyphen and xray as one word; they are used differently.
What is the difference between x-ray and xray?
| x-ray | xray | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | noun, verb, adjective | noun, verb |
| Meaning | A ray of short-wavelength electromagnetic radiation usually produced by bombarding a metal target in a vacuum. Used to create images of the internal structure… A radiograph: an image made with X-rays informalTo take a radiograph of; to obtain an image of using X-ray radiation, especially for the purpose of medical diagnostic evaluation | A radiotelephony clear-code word for the letter X |
| Example | X-rays are light with a wavelength between 0.1 and 10 nm | none recorded |
| Forms | x-rays | xrays |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛks ɹeɪ/ /ˈɛks ˌɹeɪ/ | not recorded |
| In writing | not counted (the list counts single words) | about once in every 4 million words |
Sources: x-ray and xray in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of x-ray and xray
x-ray
- 1
A ray of short-wavelength electromagnetic radiation usually produced by bombarding a metal target in a vacuum. Used to create images of the internal structure of objects; this is possible because…
X-rays are light with a wavelength between 0.1 and 10 nm
- 2
informalTo take a radiograph of; to obtain an image of using X-ray radiation, especially for the purpose of medical diagnostic evaluation
Of course there was nothing wrong with my left wrist. They X-rayed the wrong arm!
- 3
Of or relating to X-rays
I had to put my bags through an X-ray scanner at the airport
- 4
Alternative letter-case form of X-ray
… analogous to x-ray image formation …
- 5
Alternative letter-case form of X-ray
- 6
A radiograph: an image made with X-rays
The doctor ordered some X-rays of my injured wrist
- 7
Of a piece, to exert indirect influence, by either attacking, defending, or controlling an opponent's or friendly piece through an intervening piece along a rank, file, or diagonal
- 8
An X-ray machine, a machine for performing radiography
xray
- 1
Alternative form of X-ray
- 2
Alternative form of X-ray
- 3
Alternative form of X-ray (“a ray of X radiation”)
- 4
Alternative form of X-ray
- 5
A radiotelephony clear-code word for the letter X
- 6
Alternative form of X-ray (“a radiograph”)
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, x-ray or xray?
x-ray is a phrase, which the list of single words does not count; xray about once in every 4 million words.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).