silicon

noun

sil·​i·​con ˈsi-li-kən  ˈsi-lə-ˌkän 

: a tetravalent nonmetallic element with atomic number 14 that occurs combined as the most abundant element next to oxygen in the earth's crust and is used especially in semiconductors, in ferrosilicon for steelmaking, and in other alloys

—often used before another noun

silicon chips

silicon carbide

see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of silicon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These cells can harvest far more sunlight than silicon panels by stacking three different perovskite absorbers, with each layer tuned to capture a different band gap in the solar spectrum. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 2026

The idea is that future processors could be stacked directly on top of a silicon photonics engine. — IEEE Spectrum, 9 July 2026

The recent blockade of the Straits of Hormuz placed unique pressures on the raw materials required to fabricate silicon. — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

The deal surely relieves investors who were worried that Apple was trying to move even more silicon production in-house at the expense of key suppliers like Broadcom. — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 7 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin silica + English -on (as in carbon)

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing silicon

• silicon carbide
• silicon dioxide
• silicon nitride

Kids Definition

silicon

noun

sil·​i·​con ˈsil-i-kən 

ˈsil-ə-ˌkän

: a nonmetallic element that occurs combined as the most abundant element after oxygen in the earth's crust and is used especially in alloys and electronic devices see element

Medical Definition

silicon

noun

sil·​i·​con ˈsil-i-kən  ˈsil-ə-ˌkän 

: a tetravalent nonmetallic element that occurs combined as the most abundant element next to oxygen in the earth's crust and is used especially in alloys

—symbol Si see Chemical Elements Table