transistor

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noun tran·sis·tor \ tran-ˈzis-tər , tran(t)-ˈsis- \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of transistor

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

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Recent Examples of transistor from the Web

Pat Pepper, of Blue Springs, remembered using babysitting money to buy a transistor radio at the Western Auto store in Raytown in the late 1960s.

— ian cummings, kansascity, "At KC’s Western Auto building, residents try to relight an iconic neon sign," 26 July 2017
The laser was soon being compared to the vacuum tube, the device that spawned the transistor and the then adolescent age of electronics.

— kat eschner, Smithsonian, "Today We Use Lasers For Almost Everything. But They Took a Long Time to Seem Useful," 8 July 2017
The new album is additionally 311's 10th top 10 on the Billboard 200 (No. 6), a streak dating to the No. 4 debut and peak of 1997's Transistor.

— kevin rutherford, Billboard, "Imagine Dragons' 'Evolve' Debuts at No. 1 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums Charts," 6 July 2017
A single Ryzen chip the size of a nickel has five million transistors, laid out across 100 different layers.

— aaron pressman, Fortune, "Chipmaker AMD Makes a Big Bet on Brand-New Tech," 28 June 2017
The auction features vintage electronics, transistor radios, commemorative pens and an autographed Tour de France yellow jersey.

— andrea ahles and lance winter, star-telegram, "The last RadioShack store in DFW? It’s in Weatherford," 28 June 2017
Most computers work by using a series of transistors, gates that allow electricity to pass or not pass.

— matthew hutson, Science | AAAS, "Computer chip mimics human brain, with light beams for neurons," 20 June 2017
The 16nm CPU features seven billion transistors with a 384-bit wide memory bus.

— Fox News, "Xbox One X, along with its 4k gaming prowess, will be available Nov. 7," 13 June 2017
In 1965, Intel’s Gordon Moore predicted that the number of transistors that could be crammed into the same-sized chip would double every 18 months.

— kevin maney, Newsweek, "Solar Energy is Revolutionizing Markets While Trump Tries to Prop Up a Dying Coal Industry," 10 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of transistor

trans- + ¹(re)sist(ance) + ¹-or

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First Known Use: 1948

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TRANSISTOR Defined for English Language Learners

transistor

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noun

Definition of transistor for English Language Learners

: a small device that is used to control the flow of electricity in radios, computers, etc.

TRANSISTOR Defined for Kids

transistor

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noun tran·sis·tor \ tran-ˈzi-stər \

Definition of transistor for Students

:a small solid electronic device used for controlling the flow of electricity

Medical Dictionary

transistor

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noun tran·sis·tor \ tranz-ˈis-tər, tran(t)s- \

medical Definition of transistor

: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

Learn More about transistor

See words that rhyme with transistor Spanish Central: Translation of transistor Nglish: Translation of transistor for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about transistor

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transistor

Definition of transistor

Recent Examples of transistor from the Web

Origin and Etymology of transistor

TRANSISTOR Defined for English Language Learners

transistor

Definition of transistor for English Language Learners

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transistor

Definition of transistor for Students

Medical Dictionary

transistor

medical Definition of transistor

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transistor

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