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

The researchers produced the chip using established semiconductor techniques and mounted it on a custom circuit board.

From Science Daily • Apr. 2, 2026

Nvidia invested $2 billion in semiconductor company Marvell Technology as part of a new partnership focused on specialized AI chips.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Marvell got a boost on Tuesday after Nvidia vowed to invest $2 billion in the semiconductor company as part of a new partnership.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Additionally, investors have been looking for other AI-related plays with more growth opportunities, such as in memory and semiconductor capital equipment.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 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 Schwartau, Winn