semiconductor

noun

semi·con·duc·tor | \ ˌse-mē-kən-ˈdək-tər

, ˌse-ˌmī-, -mi-\

Definition of semiconductor

: 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

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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

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The restrictions on the three chemical materials are already troubling the global semiconductor industry. — Sherisse Pham, CNN, "Japan resumes exports of chemicals South Korea's chipmakers need. But tensions remain," 8 Aug. 2019 But in July 2018, Marvell bought Cavium in a $6 billion deal, part of the ongoing consolidation of the semiconductor industry. — George Avalos, The Mercury News, "A10 Networks strikes deal for north San Jose expansion," 5 Aug. 2019 Mazzucato also notes that the iPhone benefitted indirectly from public investment in the growth of the US semiconductor industry and large-scale military procurement of microprocessors, which helped drive down costs and commercialize the technology. — Eshe Nelson, Quartz, "One of the world’s most influential economists is on a mission to save capitalism from itself," 22 July 2019 Hawkish officials in America may be kept up at night worrying about China’s advancement in semiconductors and artificial intelligence. — The Economist, "China’s Silicon Valley is transforming China, but not yet the world," 11 July 2019 In semiconductors, the company was early and led the wave of consolidation seen across the industry. — latimes.com, "Broadcom is said to be in advanced talks to acquire Symantec," 3 July 2019 There is little doubt Xilinx has one of the best growth stories in semiconductors this year. — Dan Gallagher, WSJ, "Cloud Over Xilinx Should Dissipate," 15 May 2019 So, those were our investments in semiconductors, in AI acceleration. — Eric Johnson, Recode, "If they don’t want to lose their jobs to a machine, doctors will need to become compassionate ‘human connectors’," 17 Sep. 2018 The boom in global trade last year that’s helped spur manufacturing, especially in semiconductors, is spreading to other sectors of the economy. — Bloomberg.com, "Singapore Plans to Boost Goods and Services Tax to 9%," 19 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'semiconductor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

22 Aug 2019

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Time Traveler for semiconductor

The first known use of semiconductor was in 1838

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More Definitions for semiconductor

semiconductor

noun

English Language Learners Definition of semiconductor

: a material or object that allows some electricity or heat to move through it and that is used especially in electronic devices

See the full definition for semiconductor in the English Language Learners Dictionary

semiconductor

noun

semi·con·duc·tor | \ ˌse-mi-kən-ˈdək-tər

Kids Definition of semiconductor

: a solid substance that conducts electricity imperfectly

semiconductor

noun

semi·con·duc·tor | \ -kən-ˈdək-tər

Medical Definition of semiconductor

: 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