transistor
noun
tran·sis·tor
| \ tran-ˈzi-stər
, tran(t)-ˈsi-\
, tran(t)-ˈsi-\
Definition of transistor
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
Modern computer processors have billions of transistors inside, even in smartphone chips, so carbon nanotubes still have a long way to go. — John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, "Why This New 16-Bit Carbon Nanotube Processor Is Such a Big Deal," 28 Aug. 2019 The silicon transistor perfected by Fairchild had its roots in a lab right here on San Antonio Road. — Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, "First Look: Fairchilds, a new restaurant with an iconic Silicon Valley name," 26 Aug. 2019 In the mid-1990s the United States recognized that for the internet to reach its then-futuristic promise, it couldn't be regulated by laws meant for rotary telephones and transistor radios. — Stuart Alderoty For Cnn Business Perspectives, CNN, "Clarity is the first step to effective cryptocurrency regulation," 7 Aug. 2019 For decades, thanks to the shrinking size of transistors, microchips had been doubling in processing power roughly every two years, a phenomenon defined by Moore’s Law, named after Intel co-founder Gordon Moore. — Sam Dean, latimes.com, "How Jony Ive, Apple’s design guru, planned his own obsolescence," 28 June 2019 The delay of the chip, which has a higher density of transistors, thus boosting its power, was met with dismay by investors, since Intel initially said the product would be widely available in the second half of 2017. — Micah Maidenberg, WSJ, "Intel Looks to Calm Concerns on Supplies: What to Watch," 25 Oct. 2018 In the middle of the night the cadre awoke us to listen to the landing on a transistor radio. — Laura Demarco, cleveland.com, "Apollo 11 Moon Landing: Readers shares their memories of the momentous event for mankind," 14 July 2019 Earlier transistor radios, which had single earpieces, didn’t have that effect. — Clive Thompson, Smithsonian, "The Walkman’s Invention 40 Years Ago Launched a Cultural Revolution," 9 July 2019 Fads of the period such as hula hoops and transistor radios come in for special mention. — Tom Titus, latimes.com, "On Theater: ‘The Beat’ goes pro at Vanguard," 19 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'transistor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for transistor
transistor
noun
English Language Learners Definition of transistor
: a small device that is used to control the flow of electricity in radios, computers, etc.
See the full definition for transistor in the English Language Learners Dictionary
transistor
noun
tran·sis·tor
| \ tran-ˈzi-stər
\
\
Kids Definition of transistor
: a small solid electronic device used for controlling the flow of electricity
transistor
noun
tran·sis·tor
| \ tranz-ˈis-tər, tran(t)s-
\
\
Medical Definition of transistor
: 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
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