transistor

noun

tran·​sis·​tor tran-ˈzi-stər 

tran(t)-ˈsi-

1

: a solid-state electronic device that is used to control the flow of electricity in electronic equipment and usually consists of a small block of a semiconductor (such as germanium) with at least three electrodes

2

: a transistorized radio

Examples of transistor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Take the case of Nvidia’s newest AI chip, an accelerator GPU known as Blackwell, which is a four-inch square assemblage of silicon and wiring etched with 200 billion transistors. —Peter Green, Quartz, 8 June 2024

While electronic devices are built from wires and transistors, cells are built from and controlled by a diverse collection of chemical building blocks called proteins. —Scott Coyle, The Conversation, 31 May 2024

Its Wafer-Scale Engine 3 is 8 sq. in., with 4 trillion transistors. —Don Steinberg, TIME, 30 May 2024

There, Kroemer originated the concept of the heterostructure bipolar transistor (HBT), a device that contains differing semiconductor materials for the emitter and base regions, creating a heterojunction. —IEEE Spectrum, 28 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

trans- + (re)sist(ance) entry 1 + -or entry 1

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing transistor

• field-effect transistor
• transistor radio

Kids Definition

transistor

noun

tran·​sis·​tor tranz-ˈis-tər 

tran(t)s-

1

: an electronic device that consists of a small block of a semiconductor (as germanium) with at least three electrodes and is used to control the flow of electricity in electronic equipment (as a radio or computer)

2

: a radio having transistors

called also transistor radio

Medical Definition

transistor

noun

tran·​sis·​tor tranz-ˈis-tər, tran(t)s- 

: a solid-state electronic device that is used to control the flow of electricity in electronic equipment and consists of a small block of a semiconductor (as germanium) with at least three electrodes