transistor

American  

[tran-zis-ter] / trænˈzɪs tər /

noun

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.

Etymology

Origin of transistor

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

Example Sentences

Advanced AI chips now have 100 billion to 200 billion transistors, and could have a trillion by the end of the decade.

From Barron's

IBM says 2nm designs can fit up to 50 billion transistors, tiny components smaller than a virus, on a chip the size of a fingernail.

From Barron's

For years, chipmakers pushed back against the memory wall by shrinking transistors, the tiny switches that handle computations and store data, and packing more of them onto each chip.

From Science Daily

Scaled up, the chip industry drinks like a metropolis of several million people, except instead of flushing toilets they’re rinsing transistors measured in atoms.

From MarketWatch

When she addressed the audience, Su pulled one of the company’s chips out of her pocket and said it had 185 billion transistors and took nine months to make.

From The Wall Street Journal