zener diode

or Zener diode

[ zee-ner ]
/ ˈzi nər /

noun Electronics.

a semiconductor diode across which the reverse voltage remains almost constant over a wide range of currents, used especially to regulate voltage.

Origin of zener diode

1955–60; after U.S. physicist Clarence Melvin Zener (born 1905)

Words nearby zener diode

British Dictionary definitions for zener diode

Zener diode
/ (ˈziːnə) /

noun

a semiconductor diode that exhibits a sharp increase in reverse current at a well-defined reverse voltage: used as a voltage regulator

Word Origin for Zener diode

C20: named after C. M. Zener (1905–93), US physicist