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

The semiconductor company on Thursday reported a profit of $308 million, or 33 cents a share, in the quarter ended Aug. 1.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

At the center of the system is an extremely thin, two-dimensional sheet covered with individual atoms that are placed one at a time using a method adapted from semiconductor manufacturing.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

Chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, along with affiliate companies and the government, plan to spend about $2 trillion creating new semiconductor and AI industry hubs in the years to come.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Much of that strength reflects stronger capex, linked to semiconductor and electronics sectors, according to Colvin, as overseas demand for such Japanese products rise to multi-year high levels.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

Their semiconductor and electron- ics products were household words.

From Terminal Compromise: computer terrorism: when privacy and freedom are the victims: a novel by Winn Schwartau