pixel

Definition

Picture element.' Smallest square element of an image (mistakenly called 'dot') that can be turned on (illuminated) or off (darkened) on a computer monitor. Detail (resolution) of an image depends on the number of pixels a monitor can show: VGA monitors display 640 x 840 (307,400) pixels per inch (PPI), SVGA monitors display 1,073 x 768 (786,432) PPI, and newer monitors can display 1,000 x 1,000 (one million) or more PPI. The number of colors that a monitor can display, however, depends on how much memory is assigned to each pixel. Two-bit memory pixels can show eight colors whereas eight-bit pixels can show 256. See also dot pitch.