transistor

noun

tran·​sis·​tor tran-ˈzi-stər 

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

But that research wound up producing transistors and all of modern electronics from cellphones to artificial intelligence. — Mattanjah De Vries, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026

The transistor In 1947, researchers John Bardeen and Walter Brattain demonstrated the point-contact transistor at Bell Laboratories under the leadership of William Shockley. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026

Grid current passes through silicon carbide transistors that switch at high frequency before sending it through a small conventional transformer, preserving the essential electrical isolation between the grid and everything downstream. — Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Part of it takes place at the nearby Stanford Nanofabrication Facility, where students build a transistor over a semester. — Katherine Bourzac, IEEE Spectrum, 20 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

trans- + (re)sist(ance) entry 1 + -or entry 1

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing transistor

• field-effect transistor
• transistor radio

Rhymes for transistor

• resister
• resistor
• stepsister
• blister
• lyster
• mister
• sister
• twister

Kids Definition

transistor

noun

tran·​sis·​tor tranz-ˈis-tər 

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- 

: 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