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

Derived Forms

• semiconduction
  noun

Etymology

Origin of semiconductor

First recorded in 1875–80; semi- + conductor

Example Sentences

Hong Kong has re-emerged as one of the world’s most active IPO venues over the past year, largely driven by a wave of listings from Chinese companies in areas including AI, semiconductor and biotechnology.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

Cerebras shares were up 5.4% at $211.80 in premarket trading Monday, recovering after a 6.7% loss the previous week amid a broader semiconductor slump.

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

Friday’s selloff was led by semiconductor and memory stocks, where very strong gains for the year were made vulnerable by crowded investor positioning and the dynamics of levered exchange-traded funds, says Wilson.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026

Shares of BE Semiconductor Industries, the Dutch supplier of semiconductor assembly equipment, are down 1.6%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 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