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

That concept was foreign to me, having grown up in the transistor era. —David Schneider, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Aug. 2025

That paved the way for miniaturizing chips by building all the components of a circuit, not just the transistors, directly into a single piece of silicon. —Katie Tarasov, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2025

So a lot of the transistors or a lot of the mobile devices, very difficult to build up the voltage to operate. —Dana Taylor, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025

Around the planet, lawmakers, ethicists, and technologists are discovering that the most durable frameworks for judging new tools were forged long before the transistor. —Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025

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