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transistor

transistor

noun tran-ZEE-stor Rare
Communication Technology

Origin: English transistor (1948), blend of transfer + resistor.

Usage Note

Transistor is an invariable noun in Italian — the plural is also transistor (no -i ending), because it is a foreign loanword ending in a consonant. Gender is masculine (il transistor, i transistor). It refers to the electronic component as in English. In informal speech transistor can also refer colloquially to a transistor radio, especially by older speakers.

Examples

"Il transistor ha rivoluzionato l'elettronica."

Natural Translation

The transistor revolutionized electronics.

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