diode

[dahy-ohd] /ˈdaɪ oʊd/
noun, Electronics.
1.
a device, as a two-element electron tube or a semiconductor, through which current can pass freely in only one direction.
Origin
1919; di-1 + -ode2
British Dictionary definitions for diodes

diode

/ˈdaɪəʊd/
noun
1.
a semiconductor device containing one p-n junction, used in circuits for converting alternating current to direct current More formal name semiconductor diode
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
Word Origin
C20: from di-1 + -ode²
Word Origin and History for diodes

diode

n.

1886, from Greek di- "twice" + hodos "way" (see cede).

diodes in Science
diode
  (dī'ōd')   

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.