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

Helium, which is mainly produced as a by-product of natural gas production, is crucial to semiconductor manufacturing. —Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 19 May 2026

In semiconductors, which is what both DeepSeek and the Big Fund care most about, the state’s footprint is even more disproportionate. —Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 19 May 2026

Taiwan’s Semiconductor Dominance To put things in perspective, the global semiconductor industry is projected to reach $975 billion in annual sales this year, $1 trillion next year. —Frank Holmes, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026

Trump brought a large group of top CEOs with him to China, including the head of aircraft maker Boeing; Jensen Huang, chief of semiconductor giant Nvidia; and Elon Musk, the SpaceX boss who once led Trump’s effort to slash the federal workforce. —Will Weissert, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 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