noun
transistor
tran-ZIHS-t
noun
1
A small semiconductor device used to amplify or switch electronic signals.
"Modern computer chips contain billions of tiny transistors."
2
Informal short form of "transistor radio."
"He listened to the match on an old transistor."
How to Use Transistor
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA tiny electronic switch that powers almost all modern electronics, or, informally, a portable radio.
Word Forms
transistors plural
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Modern computer chips contain billions of tiny _____.
Etymology
A blend of "transfer" and "resistor," coined by American engineer John Robinson Pierce in 1947.