transistor

/trænˈzɪstə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /trænˈzɪstər/ (ame, ipa) · /tran-ˈzi-stər tran(t)-ˈsi-/ (ame, mw)

transistor — noun

  • transistorsingular
  • transistorsplural

1. A very small solid part inside electronic equipment. It is made from a special m

1.名詞B2
釋義

A very small solid part inside electronic equipment. It is made from a special material called a semiconductor and can act as a switch or make an electrical signal stronger. Transistors are the basic building blocks of almost all modern electronic devices, from smartphones and computers to televisions and radios.

例句

The engineer removed the damaged transistor, which had stopped controlling the current, and soldered a new one.

replaced the damaged transistor on a circuit board

Computers once filled entire rooms before the transistor replaced fragile vacuum tubes.

historical comparison: before vs after transistor invention

同義詞
  • semiconductor

    Broader term that refers to the type of material (e.g. silicon), not the device itself. A transistor is one kind of semiconductor device.

  • microchip

    A microchip is a larger component that contains millions or billions of transistors plus other parts wired together.

文法句型

transistor + verb (e.g. controls, amplifies)

number + transistors

用法筆記

Often used in the plural form ('transistors') when referring to the large numbers packed inside integrated circuits and microchips. In technical writing, the primary function is described as amplification or switching of electrical signals.

常見錯誤

❌The transistor is a type of battery.
✅The transistor is an electronic component that controls or amplifies current, not a power source.
💡A transistor cannot store or produce electricity; it only regulates or strengthens a signal.
❌My phone has only a few transistors.
✅A modern smartphone contains billions of tiny transistors in its processor.
💡People often drastically underestimate the number of transistors in today's microchips.

2. A small, portable radio that runs on batteries and uses transistors instead of t

2.名詞B1
釋義

A small, portable radio that runs on batteries and uses transistors instead of the older, larger vacuum tubes. This kind of radio was very popular from the 1950s to the 1970s because people could carry it around easily and listen to music or news anywhere.

例句

A collector bought a cracked 1960s transistor radio at a garage sale, cleaned it up, and played oldies on it.

vintage/collectors item context

In the 1970s, teenagers carried transistor radios to the beach to listen to summer hits.

同義詞
  • portable radio

    Modern term that describes the same concept without the vintage association. A portable radio today may use digital technology rather than separate transistors.

  • pocket radio

    Describes the small size that made transistor radios popular. Now rarely used except in nostalgic descriptions.

文法句型

transistor radio + verb

用法筆記

This sense is now dated in everyday speech. If you say 'a transistor' on its own to mean a radio, younger listeners may not understand. The full phrase 'transistor radio' is clearer and is used mainly when talking about vintage radios or mid-20th-century culture.

常見錯誤

❌I bought a transistor at the electronics shop.' (meaning a radio)
✅I bought a transistor radio at the antique shop.
💡Using 'transistor' alone to mean 'radio' sounds very old-fashioned; use 'transistor radio' when referring to the device as a radio.