semiconductor

semiconductor — noun

1. A solid substance, such as silicon or germanium, that can carry electricity unde

1.nounB2
Definition

A solid substance, such as silicon or germanium, that can carry electricity under certain conditions but not as efficiently as metals do. Its ability to conduct gets stronger when the temperature rises or when small amounts of other substances are added to it.

Example

Sirin used a piece of silicon semiconductor in her school science project to test how temperature affects electrical flow.

When the lab team heated the semiconductor material, its ability to carry electricity improved noticeably.

collocation: semiconductor material

Common collocations
  • silicon semiconductor
  • semiconductor material
  • semiconductor wafer
  • doped semiconductor
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • conductor

    A material (like copper) that allows electricity to flow very easily

  • insulator

    A material (like rubber) that does not allow electricity to flow through it

Grammar Patterns

semiconductor + noun (semiconductor material, semiconductor industry)

Usage Note

Frequently used as an attributive noun before other nouns (semiconductor industry, semiconductor material, semiconductor device). In technical writing, sense 1 refers specifically to the raw material; use sense 2 when referring to a finished electronic component.

Common Mistakes

A semiconductor is a type of metal.
A semiconductor is a material that conducts electricity better than an insulator but not as well as a metal.
Semiconductors are not metals; they belong to a separate class of materials with different conductivity properties.

2. A small electronic part or device, such as a transistor or diode, that is made f

2.nounB2
Definition

A small electronic part or device, such as a transistor or diode, that is made from a semiconductor material and is used to control or direct the flow of electricity in computers, phones, cars, and other electronic equipment.

Example

The technician replaced a damaged semiconductor on the circuit board to restore the computer's power supply.

Modern cars contain hundreds of individual semiconductors that manage systems from the engine to the headlights.

collocation: contain semiconductors

Common collocations
  • discrete semiconductor
  • power semiconductor
  • semiconductor package
  • semiconductor component
Synonyms

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 refers to a finished electronic component or device, not the raw material. Common in phrases like 'discrete semiconductor', 'power semiconductor', or 'semiconductor package'.

Word family

  • semiconductors
    nounB2
  • semiconducting
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

While these terms are often used loosely in everyday conversation, they refer to distinct concepts. A 'semiconductor' in sense 2 is a basic electronic component made from semiconducting material. A 'transistor' is a specific type of semiconductor device that acts as a switch or amplifier within a circuit. An 'integrated circuit' (IC) is a complete electronic circuit — containing many transistors, resistors, and other components — all built on a single piece of semiconductor material. A 'microchip' (or simply 'chip') is the common term for a packaged integrated circuit. For example, a computer processor is a microchip that contains billions of transistors as part of its integrated circuit, all fabricated from silicon semiconductor material.

semiconductor ↗transistormicrochip ↗integrated circuit

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • semiconductor industry
  • semiconductor manufacturing
  • semiconductor device
  • semiconductor material
  • semiconductor chip
  • semiconductor wafer
  • semiconductor technology
  • semiconductor market

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Formed by combining 'semi-' (meaning half or partially, from Latin) and 'conductor' (something that conducts or transmits, from Latin 'conducere' meaning to lead or bring together). The term was first used in the 1830s to describe materials with electrical conductivity between that of conductors and insulators.