transistor

American  

[tran-zis-ter] / trænˈzɪs tər /

noun

• transistors
  plural

1. Electronics. a semiconductor device that amplifies, oscillates, or switches the flow of current between two terminals by varying the current or voltage between one of the terminals and a third: although much smaller in size than a vacuum tube, it performs similar functions without requiring current to heat a cathode.

2. Informal. a transistorized radio.

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adjective

1. Informal. transistorized.

   a transistor radio.

transistor British  

/ trænˈzɪstə /

noun

1. a semiconductor device, having three or more terminals attached to electrode regions, in which current flowing between two electrodes is controlled by a voltage or current applied to one or more specified electrodes. The device is capable of amplification, etc, and has replaced the valve in most circuits since it is much smaller, more robust, and works at a much lower voltage See also junction transistor field-effect transistor

2. informal a transistor radio

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transistor Scientific  

/ trăn-zĭs′tər /

1. An electronic device that controls the flow of an electric current, most often used as an amplifier or switch. Transistors usually consist of three layers of semiconductor material, in which the flow of electric current across the outer layer is regulated by the voltage or current applied at the middle layer. Having replaced the vacuum tube, transistors are the basis of much modern electronic technology, including the microprocessor.

2. See also logic circuit logic gate

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transistor Cultural  

1. An electronic device that can work as an amplifier, transforming weak electrical signals into strong ones. It is normally made from silicon or other semiconductors.

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Discover More

The transistor is the basic device used in miniaturized electronic systems, such as portable radios, or as a fast switch in computers.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• transistors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of transistor

First recorded in 1945–50; trans(fer) + (res)istor

Explanation

Use the noun transistor to describe the small metal device that helps send and amplify signals in a radio. Your grandpa might carry a transistor radio around on game day. You may have heard of a transistor radio, or a portable radio that was produced in the 1950s after the development of transistors. These tiny devices made it possible for much smaller electronics to be made, like radios that people could carry in their hands. Transistors are still used in electronic products today. The word comes from the words transfer and resistor, because an electrical current in a transistor is transferred across a resistor, a two-terminal component of electronics.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

transistor transistors

By the 50s it was making tape recorders and transistor radios.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

This protection helps electrons continue moving efficiently through the transistor channel.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

“Back then transistor radios were real popular,” David said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

Big Blue’s research division announced Thursday that it had produced the world’s first sub-1 nanometer chip technology, featuring a transistor architecture at the 0.7 nanometer node.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

We’d grab the old transistor radio her parents had given her, go outside at night, raise the antenna, and point it at the stars.

From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge

As transistors shrink, making this insulating layer thinner can improve electrical control.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

"For many years, efforts to improve atomically thin transistors have largely focused on discovering better semiconductor materials," said Professor Wen-Hao Chang, the study's corresponding author from NYCU.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

Tinier processes allow for smaller transistors, meaning more circuitry can be squeezed onto a single sliver of chip to boost computing power.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

It was designed to stop electricity from leaking as transistors shrink to microscopic levels, ultimately allowing chips to become smaller, faster, and more efficient.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

They glued transistors to their ears all summer, even during Jorge del Pino’s brief hospital stays, and cheered when the Mets caught fire and the Cubs finally folded.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García