What is a TRIODE and what are its uses?

A triode is a vacuum-tube (US) aka valve(UK) with three electrodes : an anode, a cathode and a grid. The cathode is heated electrically which boils off a cloud of electrons. The anode is made positive ( typ. 100-500V) which attracts the electrons towards it. The grid is an open structure, usually of thin wires, placed between the anode and cathode, but nearer the cathode. If a negative voltage is applied to the grid the current flow through the tube is reduced. The more negative, the less current. Prior to the development of transistors, tubes were used for all things in radio,TV and electronics. Different tubes had different numbers of electrodes; the triode was particularly suited to high power amplifiers, especially at radio frequencies. Triodes are still used today by shortwave radio stations, and for RF heating equipment.