semiconductor

American  

[sem-ee-kuhn-duhk-ter, sem-ahy-] / ˌsɛm i kənˈdʌk tər, ˌsɛm aɪ- /

noun

1. a substance, as silicon or germanium, with electrical conductivity intermediate between that of an insulator and a conductor: a basic component of various kinds of electronic circuit element semiconductor device used in communications, control, and detection technology and in computers.

2. a semiconductor device.

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semiconductor British  

/ ˌsɛmɪkənˈdʌktə /

noun

1. a substance, such as germanium or silicon, that has an electrical conductivity that increases with temperature and is intermediate between that of a metal and an insulator

2. 1. a device, such as a transistor or integrated circuit, that depends on the properties of such a substance

   2. ( as modifier )

      a semiconductor diode

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semiconductor Scientific  

/ sĕm′ē-kən-dŭk′tər /

1. Any of various solid substances, such as silicon or germanium, that conduct electricity more easily than insulators but less easily than conductors. In semiconductors, thermal energy is enough to cause a small number of electrons to escape from the valence bonds between the atoms (the valence band); they orbit instead in the higher-energy conduction band, in which they are relatively free. The resulting gaps in the valence band are called holes. Semiconductors are vital to the design of electronic components and circuitry, including transistors, laser diodes, and memory and computer processing circuits.

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semiconductor Cultural  

1. A material that conducts (see conduction) electricity, but very poorly. Silicon is the most common and familiar semiconductor. Devices made from semiconductors, such as the transistor, are the basis of the modern microelectric industry.

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Other Word Forms

• semiconduction
  noun

Etymology

Origin of semiconductor

First recorded in 1875–80; semi- + conductor

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

semiconductor

Shares of Micron Technology, along with those of other memory-chip makers, sank Monday, as a historic decline in rival SK Hynix’s stock in South Korea triggered broad selling in semiconductor stocks on Wall Street.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

AI spending and profit forecasts have driven the stock market higher this year, led by semiconductor stocks.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026

One of the most notable guests during that period was Apple CEO Tim Cook, who dodged 100% tariffs on semiconductor components by agreeing to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

Last summer, Tim Cook went to Washington hoping to avoid steep semiconductor tariffs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

Still, he had to keep himself from saying something snide about the lack of tangible good resulting from keeping MPs up to date on the poleconomy of semiconductor production in PacRim sweatshops.

From Eastern Standard Tribe by Doctorow, Cory