transistor

American  

[tran-zis-ter] / trænˈzɪs tər /

noun

1. Electronics. a semiconductor device that amplifies, oscillates, or switches the flow of current between two terminals by varying the current or voltage between one of the terminals and a third: although much smaller in size than a vacuum tube, it performs similar functions without requiring current to heat a cathode.

2. Informal. a transistorized radio.

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adjective

1. Informal. transistorized.

   a transistor radio.

transistor British  

/ trænˈzɪstə /

noun

1. a semiconductor device, having three or more terminals attached to electrode regions, in which current flowing between two electrodes is controlled by a voltage or current applied to one or more specified electrodes. The device is capable of amplification, etc, and has replaced the valve in most circuits since it is much smaller, more robust, and works at a much lower voltage See also junction transistor field-effect transistor

2. informal a transistor radio

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transistor Scientific  

/ trăn-zĭs′tər /

1. An electronic device that controls the flow of an electric current, most often used as an amplifier or switch. Transistors usually consist of three layers of semiconductor material, in which the flow of electric current across the outer layer is regulated by the voltage or current applied at the middle layer. Having replaced the vacuum tube, transistors are the basis of much modern electronic technology, including the microprocessor.

2. See also logic circuit logic gate

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transistor Cultural  

1. An electronic device that can work as an amplifier, transforming weak electrical signals into strong ones. It is normally made from silicon or other semiconductors.

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Discover More

The transistor is the basic device used in miniaturized electronic systems, such as portable radios, or as a fast switch in computers.

Etymology

Origin of transistor

First recorded in 1945–50; trans(fer) + (res)istor

Explanation

Use the noun transistor to describe the small metal device that helps send and amplify signals in a radio. Your grandpa might carry a transistor radio around on game day. You may have heard of a transistor radio, or a portable radio that was produced in the 1950s after the development of transistors. These tiny devices made it possible for much smaller electronics to be made, like radios that people could carry in their hands. Transistors are still used in electronic products today. The word comes from the words transfer and resistor, because an electrical current in a transistor is transferred across a resistor, a two-terminal component of electronics.

Example Sentences

Transistor Radio The Trans Chorus of Los Angeles and Celebration Theatre present an evening of song, dance, spoken word, etc., spotlighting the trans experience.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2019

The first radio he said he fixed was a Nobility Transistor Radio that belonged to his dad when he was a kid.

From Washington Times • Jan. 16, 2017

"I think it's fair to have high expectations for what Apple TV can mean for games," says Greg Kasavin, from Transistor developer Supergiant Games.

From The Verge • Sep. 10, 2015

Transistor radios were hidden in our school desks, earpiece cords accessed through inkwells, and afterschool hours were spent listening to 45s in the home of the one friend who owned a record player.

From New York Times • Aug. 17, 2015

Transistor radios and Dansette record players opened a bustling new market for record companies and they began producing music specifically aimed at teenagers.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall