# transistor

/tɹænˈzɪstɝ/ (US) · /tɹænzˈɪstɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/transistor
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. electronic component

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

a small electronic part in a circuit that controls the flow of electricity.

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Usually a countable noun in both technical and general contexts.

### 2. portable radio

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Archaic

a small, portable radio that uses transistors instead of old glass tubes.

For teachers: 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.

Teaching tip: This sense is dated; modern speakers usually just say 'radio' or specify 'portable radio'.

## Examples

- Modern computer chips contain billions of tiny transistors.
- The invention of the transistor allowed engineers to build much smaller and more efficient computers than the old vacuum tube models.
- By miniaturising the transistor to the nanometer scale, manufacturers have been able to pack an extraordinary amount of processing power into handheld consumer electronics.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.