Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

thyristor

American  
[thahy-ris-ter] / θaɪˈrɪs tər /

noun

Electronics.
  1. a semiconductor device having two stable states, used as an electronic switch.


thyristor British  
/ θaɪˈrɪstə /

noun

  1. any of a group of semiconductor devices, such as the silicon-controlled rectifier, that can be switched between two states

"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

Etymology

Origin of thyristor

First recorded in 1965–70; thyr(atron) + (trans)istor