Main Entry:

tran·sis·tor

Pronunciation:

\tran-ˈzis-tər, tran(t)-ˈsis-\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

¹transfer + resistor; from its transferring an electrical signal across a resistor

Date:

1948

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 (as germanium) with at least three electrodes 2 : a transistorized radio