solid-state

IPA/ˌsɒlɪd ˈsteɪt/
KK[sˈɑlədstˈet]IPA/ˌsɑːlɪd ˈsteɪt/

solid-state — adjective

1. describing electronic equipment that carries current through solid parts such as

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

describing electronic equipment that carries current through solid parts such as chips, rather than through vacuum tubes.

Example

The museum replaced its tube radio with a solid-state model in 1978.

solid-state + model/device noun

Christopher opened the solid-state drive and pointed to the memory chips.

solid-state + drive

Common collocations
  • solid-state drive
  • solid-state memory
  • solid-state amplifier
  • solid-state relay
  • solid-state recorder
Synonyms
  • semiconductor

    highlights the material used inside the device more directly

  • transistorized

    older label often used when contrasting with vacuum-tube equipment

Antonyms
  • vacuum-tube

    describes older equipment that uses tubes instead of solid components

Grammar Patterns

solid-state + [device noun]

Usage Note

Most often appears before nouns naming devices or parts, such as drive, memory, amplifier, or relay. It contrasts with older vacuum-tube technology, not with a machine's size or weight.

Common Mistakes

The radio is solid state.
The radio is solid-state.
keep the hyphen in this compound adjective.
A solid-state lamp is called that because it feels hard.
A solid-state lamp is called that because it uses electronic parts made from solid material.
the term describes the electronic design, not simply something non-soft.

2. connected with how solid materials are built, behave, or react, especially when

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

connected with how solid materials are built, behave, or react, especially when scientists study their electrical, magnetic, or chemical behavior.

Example

Wei studies solid-state physics to understand how crystals carry heat.

solid-state + physics

The professor taught a solid-state chemistry unit about battery materials.

solid-state + chemistry

Common collocations
  • solid-state physics
  • solid-state chemistry
  • solid-state reaction
  • solid-state research
  • solid-state lab
Synonyms
  • materials

    broader and more general; not limited to solids

  • crystalline

    narrower because it focuses on crystal structure rather than all solids

Antonyms
  • liquid-state

    would refer to materials studied in their liquid form instead of as solids

Grammar Patterns

solid-state + [science/material noun]

Usage Note

Usually appears in academic or technical phrases such as solid-state physics, chemistry, or reaction. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense names the study or properties of solids, not a consumer device built with chips.

Common Mistakes

The course is about solid-state machines.
The course is about solid-state physics.
this sense usually names a scientific field or the behavior of materials, not ordinary machines.
Solid-state chemistry studies liquids too.
Solid-state chemistry studies solid materials such as crystals, metals, or semiconductors.
use it for solids rather than for matter in general.

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Solid-state' focuses on the hardware: current moves through solid electronic parts instead of vacuum tubes. 'Digital' describes how information is stored or processed, so a device can be digital without the label explaining its internal parts. 'Semiconductor' is closer, but it names the material itself more directly than the whole design. 'Vacuum-tube' is the historical opposite, used for older equipment that depends on tubes rather than solid components.

solid-state ↗digital ↗semiconductor ↗vacuum-tube ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • solid-state drive
  • solid-state memory
  • solid-state amplifier
  • solid-state physics
  • solid-state chemistry

Phrases

  • solid-state device
  • solid-state research
  • solid-state lab

Etymology

English

Built from the English words 'solid' and 'state'. Scientists first used it for the study of solids and their behavior, and electronics later extended it to equipment whose current moves through solid material such as semiconductors instead of through vacuum tubes.

First known use

1951

1951, in the meaning defined at sense 1