transistor: Meaning and Definition of

tran•sis•tor

Pronunciation: (tran-zis'tur), [key]
— n.
  1. a semiconductor device that amplifies, oscillates, or switches the flow of current between two terminals by varying the current or voltage between one of the terminals and a third: although much smaller in size than a vacuum tube, it performs similar functions without requiring current to heat a cathode.
  2. a transistorized radio.
—adj.
  1. transistorized: a transistor radio.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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