Diode

noun (also used attributively/adjectivally, as in "diode valve")

/ˈdaɪ.oʊd/

A two-terminal electronic component that allows electric current to flow in one direction only, used chiefly as a rectifier to convert alternating current to direct current.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

Much like a diode in an electrical circuit, an unaccountable bureaucracy can permit power to flow downward as directives while resisting the upward flow of grievance and feedback, and it is precisely this one-way conductance that participatory governance reforms seek to break.

Synonyms

rectifiersemiconductor devicevalve (thermionic)one-way conductorjunction

Antonyms

conductor (bidirectional)resistorinsulator

🌱 Word Family

diode (n), diodes (n pl), diodic (adj)

🔡 Root

Coined/Modern (1919, W.H. Eccles): Greek di- = two; hodos = way, passage — two-terminal device

📜 Etymology

Coined in 1919 by William Henry Eccles from Greek di- (two) + hodos (way, passage).

🧠 Memory Hook

DI- (two) + -ODE (from electrODE) = a two-electrode device; picture a one-way street sign letting current pass only DIrectly forward, never back.

⚗️ General Science 📖 Seen in: Electricity, Magnetism & Electronics

Tip: press Alt+S to hear pronunciation