semiconductor

noun

semi·​con·​duc·​tor ˌse-mē-kən-ˈdək-tər 

ˌse-ˌmī-,

-mi-

: any of a class of solids (such as germanium or silicon) whose electrical conductivity is between that of a conductor and that of an insulator in being nearly as great as that of a metal at high temperatures and nearly absent at low temperatures

Did you know?

A semiconductor is a crystal material whose ability to conduct electricity rises as its temperature goes up. That is, it sometimes acts as a conductor and sometimes as an insulator. Its conducting ability can be much increased by chemical treatment. A manufactured chip of silicon, less than half an inch square, may contain millions of microscopic transistors, which can serve control and memory functions when installed in a computer, automobile, cell phone, DVD player, or microwave oven.

Examples of semiconductor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These firms play an important role in the semiconductor supply chain. Japan and the Netherlands, another hub for chipmaking tools, have both imposed export controls on China. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Asia, 5 Sep. 2024

In recent years, AMD has closed the $49 billion purchase of competitor Xilinx—the largest semiconductor deal ever—as well as the $1.9 billion acquisition of data center networking company Pensando. —Ayesha Javed, TIME, 5 Sep. 2024

Tokyo Electron dropped 7%, while semiconductor testing equipment supplier Advantest shed more than 8%. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2024

Despite reports of overwork and a stressful work environment at Nvidia, the company has a remarkably low turnover rate of 2.7%, compared to the semiconductor industry average of 17.7%. —Jack Kelly, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

semiconductor

noun

semi·​con·​duc·​tor ˌsem-i-kən-ˈdək-tər 

ˌsem-ˌī-

: any of a class of solids (as germanium) that have an ability to conduct electricity between that of a conductor and that of an insulator

semiconducting

-tiŋ

adjective

Medical Definition

semiconductor

noun

semi·​con·​duc·​tor -kən-ˈdək-tər 

: any of a class of solids (as germanium or silicon) whose electrical conductivity is between that of a conductor and that of an insulator in being nearly as great as that of a metal at high temperatures and nearly absent at low temperatures