thermistor

[ ther-mis-ter, thur-muh-ster ]

/ θərˈmɪs tər, ˈθɜr mə stər /

noun Electronics.

a resistor whose action depends upon changes of its resistance material with changes in temperature.

Nearby words

thermionic current, thermionic emission, thermionic tube, thermionic valve, thermionics, thermistor, thermit, thermite, thermite process, thermo-, thermoacidophile

Origin of thermistor

First recorded in 1935–40; therm- + (res)istor

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for thermistor

thermistor

/ (θɜːˈmɪstə) /

noun

a semiconductor device having a resistance that decreases rapidly with an increase in temperature. It is used for temperature measurement, to compensate for temperature variations in a circuit, etc

Word Origin for thermistor

C20: from thermo- + (res) istor

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Science definitions for thermistor

thermistor

[ thûr′mĭs′tər ]

A resistor whose resistance varies as a function of temperature. Thermistors are used in electrical devices such as thermometers and thermostats that measure, monitor, or regulate temperature. See more at resistor.