A round, flexible, two-conductor cable consisting of—from the center outwards—a copper wire, a layer of protective insulation, a braided metal mesh sleeve, and an outer shield, or jacket of PVC or fire-resistant material. The shield prevents signals transmitted on the center wire from affecting nearby components and prevents external interference from affecting the signal carried on the center wire. Coaxial cable is widely used in networks. It is the same type of wiring as that used for cable television. See the illustration. Compare fiberoptic cable, twisted-pair wiring.
A transmission line for high-frequency signals; SYN. coax, coax cable.
A tubular wire transmission medium that consists of a central conductor surrounded by a dielectric insulator that is in turn surrounded by a tubular conductor. The outer conductor is usually at ground potential and also serves as an electrical shield.
Electric cable that consists of a solid or stranded central conductor insulated from and surrounded by a solid or braided conducting tube or sheath. It can transmit the high-frequency signals used in television, telephone, and other telecommunications transmissions.