ccd

ccd — noun

1. a poorly understood problem in which the adult bees of a hive suddenly leave and

1.nounB2
Definition

a poorly understood problem in which the adult bees of a hive suddenly leave and die, causing the colony to collapse — a serious threat to farming because bees are needed to pollinate crops

Example

Nikhil's beekeeping business lost half its hives to CCD last spring.

CCD as object of 'lose to'

Devika and her research team are still investigating what causes CCD in honeybee hives.

Common collocations
  • suffer from CCD
  • link to CCD
  • CCD spreads
  • cause of CCD
  • CCD in honeybees
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

CCD as subject + verb

CCD as object of 'suffer from' / 'linked to'

Usage Note

Usually written in capital letters (CCD). This sense refers only to the bee-disorder meaning; distinguish from CCD as an image sensor (sense 2).

Common Mistakes

The hive suffered from CDD last winter.
The hive suffered from CCD last winter.
the abbreviation is CCD, not CDD.

2. a light-sensitive electronic chip that converts light into digital signals, used

2.nounC1
Definition

a light-sensitive electronic chip that converts light into digital signals, used in cameras, telescopes, and scanners to capture high-quality images

Example

The Nikon D70 uses a CCD sensor to capture light and produce an image.

CCD as object of 'use'

The Hubble Space Telescope relies on a large CCD to take pictures of distant galaxies.

Common collocations
  • CCD sensor
  • CCD chip
  • use a CCD
  • CCD camera
  • CCD image
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

CCD as subject + verb

CCD as object of 'use' / 'replace'

Usage Note

Frequently combined with 'sensor' or 'chip' (CCD sensor, CCD chip). Distinguish from CMOS sensors, which are a newer competing technology.

Etymology

English

CCD is an initialism that independently developed from two separate sources. 'Charge-coupled device' was coined by researchers at Bell Labs in 1969. 'Colony collapse disorder' emerged in the early 2000s as beekeepers reported sudden hive losses. The two terms share the same three-letter abbreviation but have completely separate origins — one in electronics, the other in beekeeping and agricultural science.