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

Exports surged 48% from a year earlier in April, following a revised 50% jump in March, driven by semiconductor shipments amid strong demand from global technology companies building artificial-intelligence infrastructure.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

A Samsung strike "would almost certainly have been the biggest work stoppage in the history of the global semiconductor industry", South Korean writer and researcher Kap Seol said in an article for US magazine Jacobin.

From Barron's • May 28, 2026

For example, worldwide semiconductor billings growth peaked in August 2000, six months after the late March 2000 dot-com-era peak for stocks, said the pair.

From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026

Micron is investing $200 billion to expand manufacturing, including the nation’s largest semiconductor factory.

From Barron's • May 27, 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