semiconductor
- 01 C1 Advanced
a material, like silicon, that allows electricity to flow through it only under certain conditions.
a solid substance that has a conductivity between that of an insulator and that of most metals, either due to the addition of an impurity or because of temperature effects.
Simple“Silicon is the most common semiconductor used in the electronics industry today.”
In context“The physical properties of a semiconductor can be precisely altered through a process called doping, which introduces specific impurities into the crystal lattice.”
UsageOften used as an uncountable noun when referring to the substance itself.
Teacher's tipWhile technically a material, in news and business contexts it almost always refers to the industry or the chips themselves.
- 02 C1 Advanced
a tiny electronic part or computer chip made from semiconductor material.
an electronic device or integrated circuit composed of semiconductor material, such as a transistor or a microprocessor.
Simple“The car factory had to stop production because they couldn't get enough semiconductors.”
In context“Global supply chains were severely disrupted when the demand for semiconductors outpaced the manufacturing capacity of the world's leading foundries.”
UsageUsed as a countable noun in this sense, often in the plural.
“Over the past two decades, photonic-crystal surface-emitting lasers (PCSELs) have shown promise as a type of advanced semiconductor laser useful in defense- and aerospace-related applications.”
“Pyrite iron sulfide is a unique semiconductor because it absorbs light extraordinarily well and is composed of abundant, nontoxic and cost-effective elements.”
From semi- + conductor.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.