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

Denser transistor packing can reduce die area but may concentrate heat flux, complicating cooling in existing rack infrastructure. —Aditya Jadhav, Interesting Engineering, 22 May 2026

Cerebras sells the Wafer-Scale Engine 3, a single 5nm AI accelerator with 4 trillion transistors and 900,000 cores fabricated on one continuous wafer. —Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026

By our count, Americans created or supported 76 of the 100 most important inventions of the past 250 years, from the telegraph and the electric grid to the airplane, the transistor, the personal computer, and generative AI. —Eric Kutcher, Fortune, 13 May 2026

The Manhattan Project to develop an atomic bomb stands out but funding for radars of all types, new higher-speed and longer range voice and data transmission and circuit design that eventually would lead to the development of the transistor and then the integrated circuit. —Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 10 May 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