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

Semiconductor manufacturing requires huge amounts of ultra-clean water to rinse residue from silicon chips during the fabrication process, resulting in wastewater that contains pollutants, including heavy metals, which can be toxic to aquatic ecosystems and humans. —Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 7 Jan. 2026

At the silicon level, Series 3 brings a new class of Intel Core Ultra X9 and X7 mobile processors aimed at users running demanding workloads across gaming, content creation, and productivity. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Jan. 2026

The puppets’ heads in the past are silicon moulds multi-layered by oil painting to look like aged wood. —John Hopewell, Variety, 6 Jan. 2026

That implies shares of the company, which offers services such as silicon design and electronic design automation used in AI products, could jump nearly 28% from Wednesday’s close. —Pia Singh, CNBC, 2 Jan. 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