solid-state

[ sol-id-steyt ]

adjective

, Electronics.

1. designating or pertaining to electronic devices, as transistors or crystals, that can control current without the use of moving parts, heated filaments, or vacuum gaps.

solid-state

noun

1. modifier (of an electronic device) activated by a semiconductor component in which current flow is through solid material rather than in a vacuum
2. modifier of, concerned with, characteristic of, or consisting of solid matter

Word History and Origins

Origin of solid-state¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

By most accounts, Nevada should be a solid state for Obama on Tuesday.

From The Daily Beast

The breath of the men condensed in the air, and passing quickly from a fluid to a solid state, fell round them in snow.

From Project Gutenberg

On Mars it must normally be in the solid state—ice, snow, or frost, or the like.

From Project Gutenberg

The liquid silver, at the moment of its passage to the solid state, experiences a slight agitation, and then becomes motionless.

From Project Gutenberg

As the nights were extremely cold, the ink would be turned by the frost from a liquid to a solid state.

From Project Gutenberg

This combination is achieved by the use of very fast, reliable, solid state circuits coupled with system design restraint.

From Project Gutenberg