diode
UK /ˈdaɪ.əʊd/ · US /ˈdaɪ.oʊd/ noun
Forms diodes
- noun (electronics) An electronic device that allows current to flow in one direction only; used chiefly as a rectifier.
Synonyms
rectifying tube rectifying valve semiconductor diode junction rectifier crystal rectifier
Etymology
From di- (“two”) + -ode. Learned formation, coined by William Henry Eccles in 1919, after Ancient Greek δίοδος (díodos, “passage through”), which however is formed not with δι- (di-, “two”) but with δια- (dia-, “through”).
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “diode”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details