transistor

electronics A three terminal semiconductor amplifying

device, the fundamental component of most active electronic

circuits, including digital electronics. The transistor was

invented on 1947-12-23 at Bell Labs.

There are two kinds, the bipolar transistor (also called the

junction transistor), and the field effect transistor (FET).

Transistors and other components are interconnected to make

complex integrated circuits such as logic gates,

microprocessors and memory.

(1995-10-05)