transistor

noun

tran·​sis·​tor tran-ˈzi-stər How to pronounce transistor (audio)
tran(t)-ˈsi-
1
: a solid-state electronic device that is used to control the flow of electricity in electronic equipment and usually consists of a small block of a semiconductor (such as germanium) with at least three electrodes
2
: a transistorized radio

Examples of transistor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In 1951, the company officially became known as Texas Instruments and entered the semiconductor industry by obtaining a license to build transistors. Adam Sarhan, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025 The number of bits per cell is literally how many different values can be stored in a single NAND flash floating-gate transistor. IEEE Spectrum, 22 Jan. 2025 But this scaling broke down because faster, smaller transistors allowed more current to leak, causing power consumption to spiral. The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 16 Jan. 2025 The chip stands out for featuring both the CPU and GPU on the same package, increasing the transistor density. Michael Kan, PCMAG, 10 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for transistor 

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of transistor was in 1948

Dictionary Entries Near transistor

Cite this Entry

“Transistor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transistor. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

transistor

noun
tran·​sis·​tor tranz-ˈis-tər How to pronounce transistor (audio)
tran(t)s-
1
: an electronic device that consists of a small block of a semiconductor (as germanium) with at least three electrodes and is used to control the flow of electricity in electronic equipment (as a radio or computer)
2
: a radio having transistors

called also transistor radio

Medical Definition

transistor

noun
tran·​sis·​tor tranz-ˈis-tər, tran(t)s- How to pronounce transistor (audio)
: a solid-state electronic device that is used to control the flow of electricity in electronic equipment and consists of a small block of a semiconductor (as germanium) with at least three electrodes

More from Merriam-Webster on transistor

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