phototransistor

noun

pho·​to·​tran·​sis·​tor ˌfō-tō-tran-ˈzi-stər How to pronounce phototransistor (audio)
-tran(t)-ˈsi-
: a photoconductive semiconductor device used especially as a photodetector

Examples of phototransistor 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 scientists developed a 2D active pixel sensor array in which each pixel possessed a single programmable phototransistor. IEEE Spectrum, 30 Nov. 2022 Reflected light from the upper eyelid is measured 500 times per second by a phototransistor positioned alongside the LED. Jim Sullivan, Discover Magazine, 7 July 2014 The capsule has tiny phototransistors that send the light information to a microprocessor, which broadcasts it wirelessly to a computer or smartphone. Sean Rossman, USA TODAY, 25 May 2018 Not much, but enough for a custom phototransistor to capture it and relay that information to a microprocessor—which sent the signal to an Android app developed by an undergraduate engineering student. Megan Molteni, WIRED, 24 May 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of phototransistor was in 1950

Dictionary Entries Near phototransistor

Cite this Entry

“Phototransistor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phototransistor. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!