diode
diode Lexical Profile
diode Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A specialized electronic component with two terminals that acts primarily as a one-way switch, allowing electrical current to flow easily in one direction while severely restricting it in the opposite direction.
"The engineering students used a light-emitting diode in their breadboard circuit to indicate when power was flowing."
An early type of thermionic vacuum tube containing exactly two electrodes—a heated cathode and an anode—used primarily for signal detection and rectification.
"Early radio receivers relied on a vacuum tube diode to detect incoming amplitude-modulated signals."
• Rhymes for diode
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in 1919 by British physicist William Henry Eccles from the prefix 'di-' (two) and '-ode' (from 'electrode', ultimately derived from the Greek 'hodos' meaning 'way' or 'path').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.