Word
transistor
Phoneticstran·sis·tor
US/tɹænˈzɪstɝ/
UK/tɹænzˈɪstɐ/
Definitions
01electronic component
n. a small electronic part in a circuit that controls the flow of electricity.
n. a three-terminal semiconductor device used for amplification, switching, and signal modulation in electronic circuits.
“Modern computer chips contain billions of tiny transistors to process information.”
“The invention of the silicon transistor revolutionized electronics by allowing for the miniaturization of complex circuitry that previously required vacuum tubes.”
Technical
Usage
Usually a countable noun in both technical and general contexts.
Synonyms
02portable radio
n. a small, portable radio that uses transistors instead of old glass tubes.
n. a portable radio receiver employing transistor-based circuitry, popular from the late 1950s through the 1970s.
“My grandfather used to listen to the baseball game on his old transistor.”
“Before the advent of digital streaming, the transistor was the primary medium for teenagers to access contemporary pop music privately.”
Informal · Archaic
Teaching tip
This sense is dated; modern speakers usually just say 'radio' or specify 'portable radio'.
Real-World Examples
“The resulting transistors delivered an unusually strong combination of electrical control and performance.” “Transistor radios: These low-cost devices gave control of the dial to teenagers , who turned listening to music into a hobby.” Etymology
Blend of transfer + resistor. Said to have been coined by American engineer John Robinson Pierce in 1947, who used transresistance as the basis for forming transistor.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/transistor