semiconductor

noun

semi·​con·​duc·​tor ˌse-mē-kən-ˈdək-tər 

ˌse-ˌmī-, 

-mi-

: any of a class of solids (such as germanium or silicon) whose electrical conductivity is between that of a conductor and that of an insulator in being nearly as great as that of a metal at high temperatures and nearly absent at low temperatures

Did you know?

A semiconductor is a crystal material whose ability to conduct electricity rises as its temperature goes up. That is, it sometimes acts as a conductor and sometimes as an insulator. Its conducting ability can be much increased by chemical treatment. A manufactured chip of silicon, less than half an inch square, may contain millions of microscopic transistors, which can serve control and memory functions when installed in a computer, automobile, cell phone, DVD player, or microwave oven.

Examples of semiconductor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The optics are intended for applications including missile seeker windows, furnace inspection ports, semiconductor processing equipment, pyrometers, vacuum chambers and aerospace instrumentation. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026

Amazon frequently purchases warrants and takes stakes in its suppliers, including semiconductor firm Astera Labs, air cargo contractor ATSG, green hydrogen supplier Plug Power and grocery distributor Spartan Nash. — Annie Palmer, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026

Reilly’s September 10 report found consensus estimates for S&P 500 earnings growth now matching dot-com-era peaks, concentrated overwhelmingly in technology and semiconductor names. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026

Broadcom, now based in Palo Alto, is one of the world’s largest semiconductor and infrastructure software companies. — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for semiconductor

• superconductor
• abductor
• adductor
• conductor
• constructor
• destructor
• inductor
• instructor
• mukhtar

Kids Definition

semiconductor

noun

semi·​con·​duc·​tor ˌsem-i-kən-ˈdək-tər 

ˌsem-ˌī-

: any of a class of solids (as germanium) that have an ability to conduct electricity between that of a conductor and that of an insulator

semiconducting

-tiŋ

adjective

Medical Definition

semiconductor

noun

semi·​con·​duc·​tor -kən-ˈdək-tər 

: any of a class of solids (as germanium or silicon) whose electrical conductivity is between that of a conductor and that of an insulator in being nearly as great as that of a metal at high temperatures and nearly absent at low temperatures