diode

[dahy-ohd]

noun

Electronics.

1. a device, as a two-element electron tube or a semiconductor, through which current can pass freely in only one direction.

diode

/ ˈdaɪəʊd /

noun

1. More formal name: semiconductor diode. a semiconductor device containing one p-n junction, used in circuits for converting alternating current to direct current

2. 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

diode

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of diode¹

First recorded in 1919; di- ¹ + -ode ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of diode¹

C20: from _di- ¹ + _-ode ²

Example Sentences

The light is too harshly angled and full of diodes, too precise, too careful and still somehow not careful enough, not surreal, sepia and tender enough.

From Los Angeles Times

That includes the light-emitting diodes, the circuit boards and the durable metal housing that protects the lights in news vans and on film sets.

From Los Angeles Times

The proof-of-concept work was used to create diodes and transistors, and paves the way for self-assembling more complex electronic devices without relying on existing computer chip manufacturing techniques.

From Science Daily

“Align the diode with the capacitor and then move the magnetron seven degrees left.”

From Literature

This property is utilised in a central component of optical communication networks known as an "optical isolator" or "optical diode."

From Science Daily

When To Use

What is a diode?

A diode is a device for controlling electrical currents so that they only flow the desired way (the way the engineer wants them to).Diodes are used in all kinds of electronic devices. Most diodes in use today are semiconductor diodes. People often simply use the word diode when they are talking about a semiconductor diode. A semiconductor is a material that electricity can travel through, but not as well as when it travels through a stronger conductor like copper. This kind of diode is kind of like a door for electricity to move through, but it only opens one way.Among the simplest kinds of this device are p-n junction diodes. Such diodes are commonly made from the semiconductor silicon. Silicon doesn’t conduct very well on its own, but its conductivity can be improved by adding other elements. Depending on what you add to the silicon, it can become either what’s called a p-type material, which has a positive charge, or an n-type material, which has a negative charge.  To create the diode, some p-type material and n-type material are put together. The p-type is the anode, and the n-type is the cathode. At the junction, where the two materials meet, they cancel each other out, and the area around the junction doesn’t have a charge. The electrical current can’t cross it. If you add a positive electrical current to the positive end and a negative one to the negative end, the junction gets smaller and electricity can flow across the junction. But if you reverse that, the junction gets bigger and the current can’t go across. So electricity can only be conducted in one direction, and the diode is created.Another basic type of diode is the thermionic diode. You might know these better as vacuum tubes. Vacuum tubes use glass tubes to create a vacuum surrounding a tiny wire, which heats up the cathode and releases electrons. The anode then attracts the electrons, which means the current goes in that direction. Though this type of diode was common in early electrical applications, it’s largely been replaced by the semiconductor type today.The term LED (as in LED lights and LED bulbs) stands for light-emitting diode. Some semiconductor diodes are so flexible and powerful that they can be made to produce light. This makes LED bulbs more efficient than standard light bulbs.Example: The device malfunctioned due to a faulty diode, but it was easy to replace.