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photodiode

American  
[foh-toh-dahy-ohd] / ˈfoʊ toʊˌdaɪ oʊd /

noun

Electronics.

  1. a photosensitive semiconductor diode.

photodiode British  
/ ˌfəʊtəʊˈdaɪəʊd /

noun

  1. a semiconductor diode, the conductivity of which is controlled by incident illumination

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
photodiode Scientific  
/ fō′tō-dī′ōd′ /

  1. A diode that exhibits sensitivity to light, either by varying its electrical resistance like a photoresistor, or generating a electric potential in the manner of a photoelectric cell.

  2. See more at photoelectric

Etymology

Origin of photodiode

First recorded in 1940–45; photo- + diode

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Kahn and Abbamonte are working on an extremely sensitive photodiode, a device that produces an electrical signal when it absorbs light.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 27, 2022

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.