diode
[ dahy-ohd ]
/ ˈdaɪ oʊd /
noun Electronics.
a device, as a two-element electron tube or a semiconductor, through which current can pass freely in only one direction.
Words nearby diode
dio chrysostom,
dioc.,
diocesan,
diocese,
diocletian,
diode,
diode laser,
diodorus siculus,
dioecious,
dioestrus,
diogenes
British Dictionary definitions for diode
diode
/ (ˈdaɪəʊd) /
noun
a semiconductor device containing one p-n junction, used in circuits for converting alternating current to direct current
More formal name: semiconductor diode
the earliest and simplest type of electronic valve having two electrodes, an anode and a cathode, between which a current can flow only in one direction. It was formerly widely used as a rectifier and detector but has now been replaced in most electrical circuits by the more efficient and reliable semiconductor diode
Word Origin for diode
C20: from
di-
1 +
-ode ²
Scientific definitions for diode
diode
[ dī′ōd′ ]
An electrical device with two active terminals, an anode and a cathode, through which current passes more easily in one direction (from anode to cathode) than in the reverse direction. Diodes have many uses, including conversion of AC power to DC power, and the decoding of audio-frequency signals from radio signals.