transistor

noun

tran·​sis·​tor tran-ˈzi-stər How to pronounce transistor (audio)
tran(t)-ˈsi-
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 (such as germanium) with at least three electrodes
2
: a transistorized radio

Examples of transistor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The famous Moore’s Law said the number of transistors on a chip—basically transistor density—doubles every two years or so. Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2024 If impure quartz is used, the outside materials can hamper the effectiveness of the transistor. Olatunji Osho-Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Oct. 2024 Project manager Jordan Evans said the transistors — located in circuits across the entire spacecraft — are expected to degrade when Europa Clipper is exposed to the worst of the radiation during the 49 flybys of the moon. Marcia Dunn, The Denver Post, 9 Sep. 2024 Though both versions of the Raspberry Pi 5 use a single LPDDR4X memory module, the lower capacity of the memory module on the 2GB version means far fewer power-hungry transistors in the memory chip. PCMAG, 7 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for transistor 

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of transistor was in 1948

Dictionary Entries Near transistor

Cite this Entry

“Transistor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transistor. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

transistor

noun
tran·​sis·​tor tranz-ˈis-tər How to pronounce transistor (audio)
tran(t)s-
1
: an electronic device that consists of a small block of a semiconductor (as germanium) with at least three electrodes and is used to control the flow of electricity in electronic equipment (as a radio or computer)
2
: a radio having transistors

called also transistor radio

Medical Definition

transistor

noun
tran·​sis·​tor tranz-ˈis-tər, tran(t)s- How to pronounce transistor (audio)
: a solid-state electronic device that is used to control the flow of electricity in electronic equipment and consists of a small block of a semiconductor (as germanium) with at least three electrodes

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