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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.

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Origin of thermistor

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

Words nearby thermistor

thermionic current, thermionic emission, thermionics, thermionic tube, thermionic valve, thermistor, Thermit, thermite, thermite process, thermo-, thermoacidophile
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

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

Scientific 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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.