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Financial Instruments and Derivatives - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Apr. 05, 2015
Mar. 30, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Oct. 31, 2014
Financial Instruments and Fair Value [Line Items]          
Available-for-sale securities, realized loss $ 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedLosses $ 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedLosses      
Available-for-sale securities, realized gain 500,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGains 300,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGains      
Available-for-sale marketable securities, Fair Market Value of Investment with Unrealized Losses 319,060,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue   583,076,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue    
Fair market value of investments with unrealized losses greater than one year 300,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionTwelveMonthsOrLongerFairValue   2,300,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionTwelveMonthsOrLongerFairValue    
Fair market value of investments with unrealized losses less than one year 318,800,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThanTwelveMonthsFairValue   580,800,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThanTwelveMonthsFairValue    
Gains (losses) on foreign currency transactions 4,300,000us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyTransactionGainLossUnrealized 600,000us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyTransactionGainLossUnrealized      
Realized (losses) gains on foreign currency contracts (3,400,000)us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyTransactionGainLossRealized (700,000)us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyTransactionGainLossRealized      
Offsetting foreign exchange contracts 0us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueAmountOffsetAgainstCollateralNet   0us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueAmountOffsetAgainstCollateralNet    
ZTEC Instruments, Inc. | Maximum          
Financial Instruments and Fair Value [Line Items]          
Contingent consideration       5,000,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationLiability
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ter_ZtecCorporationMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
 
AIT | Maximum          
Financial Instruments and Fair Value [Line Items]          
Contingent consideration         2,100,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationLiability
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ter_AITMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
Foreign Currency Forward Contracts          
Financial Instruments and Fair Value [Line Items]          
Notional amount of foreign currency forward contracts 96,200,000invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember
  73,000,000invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember
   
Gains (losses) on foreign currency transactions $ 0us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyTransactionGainLossUnrealized
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember
  $ (100,000)us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyTransactionGainLossUnrealized
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember