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

Other qubits, such as the superconducting circuits championed by Google and IBM, operate much more quickly but sit locked in place, like traditional transistors. —Quanta Magazine, 3 Apr. 2026

The transistors, silicon MOSFETs (metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors), contain an oxide layer that’s particularly vulnerable to radiation damage. —Katherine Bourzac, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Apr. 2026

The team realized that radiation kills chips by trapping electrical charges in transistors’ insulating layers. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026

Helium is used during the etching process, when material that's been deposited on a wafer is scraped away to form transistor structures, said Jacob Feldgoise, an analyst at Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology. —ABC News, 20 Mar. 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