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

Nvidia, the world’s most valuable public company, dominates the semiconductor landscape and has accelerated its release and sale of high-end chips, but faces growing competition from other tech giants such as Amazon and Google. —Ben Smith, semafor.com, 26 Dec. 2025

This is reportedly the first quantum computer to be built using the standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) chip fabrication process which is the same transistor technology used in conventional computers. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Dec. 2025

The first relates to transistors, the microscopic switches that give semiconductors their function. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025

Innovation led to smaller and smaller transistors, eventually on silicon chips as semiconductors. —Christopher Howley, AZCentral.com, 23 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for semiconductor

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

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