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

For decades, the tech industry had Moore’s Law, the promise that the number of transistors on a chip would double every couple of years. —Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 18 June 2025

The smaller the nanometer number, the more transistors that can be fit into a chip, leading to a more powerful semiconductor. —Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 12 June 2025

The company completed the acquisition of Odyssey Semiconductor Technologies in July 2024, enhancing its capabilities in gallium-nitride transistor technology. —Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 7 Feb. 2025

The way their transistors are linked is inherently inefficient, so for a computer to save a meaningful amount of energy from reversible computing, it must be designed with low heat loss in mind from the beginning. —Matt Von Hippel, Quanta Magazine, 30 May 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