CMOS
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Science & Engineering, Writing & Everyday |
CMOS has two meanings. It stands for Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (electronics & electrical) or Chicago Manual of Style (citation and bibliography).
Meanings of CMOS at a glance
| # | CMOS stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor | Science & Engineering › Electronics & Electrical |
| 2 | Chicago Manual of Style | Writing & Everyday › Citation and Bibliography |
1. Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor
Science & Engineering · Electronics & Electrical Abbreviations · also used in technology
Chip technology that pairs n-channel and p-channel MOSFETs so that, in a steady state, almost no current flows, giving very low power consumption. CMOS is the basis of nearly all modern processors, memory and logic chips, and of the image sensors in phone and digital cameras.
Example: The camera's 50-megapixel CMOS sensor reads out a full frame in a few milliseconds.
Frank Wanlass at Fairchild Semiconductor invented CMOS logic in 1963. CMOS image sensors overtook CCDs in consumer cameras in the 2000s. On PCs, the "CMOS battery," usually a CR2032 coin cell, keeps the clock and firmware settings stored in a small CMOS memory. Pronounced "SEE-moss."
2. Chicago Manual of Style
Writing & Everyday · Citation and Bibliography Abbreviations · also used in education and entertainment
Names the style guide published by the University of Chicago Press, used widely in book publishing, history and the humanities. It offers two citation systems: notes and bibliography, and author-date.
Example: Our house style follows CMOS, so we use the serial comma and spell out numbers through one hundred.
First published in 1906, the manual reached its 18th edition in 2024. It is also abbreviated CMS or simply called "Chicago," and a subscription version is available online. Students often use Turabian, an adaptation for papers and theses first written by Kate L. Turabian. Chicago is known for favoring the serial (Oxford) comma.
Related abbreviations
More electronics & electrical abbreviations
- AWG – American wire gauge
- BGA – Ball grid array
- BJT – Bipolar junction transistor
- BLDC – Brushless DC motor
- CPLD – Complex programmable logic device
- CT – Current transformer
- DAC – Digital-to-analog converter
- DC – Direct current
See all 82 electronics & electrical abbreviations →