a cable that consists of a single conductor surrounded by insulation and a conductive shield. The shield prevents the cable from picking up or emitting electrical noise. (Contrast twisted pair.) Coaxial cables are rated for their impedance, given in ohms, which indicates how the inductance and capacitance of the cable interact. For instance, RG-58 cable is rated at 52 ohms. This impedance cannot be measured with an ohmmeter.
heavy-duty electrical wire made up of an inner conductor, consisting of several copper tubes about ¼" in diameter, and an outer conductor, used for transmission of impulses from one point to another. Most commonly, coaxial cables are used to transmit telephone conversations, but this same cable also carries cable television programming to subscribers. Fiber-optic cable is rapidly emerging as the state-of-the-art in cable transmission and is expected to supplant coaxial cable.
