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varistor

American  
[va-ris-ter, vuh-] / væˈrɪs tər, və- /

noun

Electricity.
  1. a resistor whose resistance automatically varies in proportion to the voltage of the current through it.


varistor British  
/ vəˈrɪstə /

noun

  1. a two-electrode semiconductor device having a voltage-dependent nonlinear resistance Compare varactor

"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 varistor

First recorded in 1940–45; var(iable) + (res)istor