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

The report fuels the debate about whether custom silicon is going to take a bite out of Nvidia's graphics processing units business. —Zev Fima, CNBC, 25 Nov. 2025

Germanium, used in the earliest transistors of the 1950s, has long been known to offer superior charge mobility but has been difficult to integrate with mainstream silicon production techniques. —Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 25 Nov. 2025

The watch is powered by the Co-Axial Master Chronometer caliber 8912, with a silicon Si14 balance spring, and two barrels for a 60-hour power reserve. —Carol Besler, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2025

The wireless headset, powered by Qualcomm silicon and due next year, can stream games from a PC or run Windows and Android games locally. —Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 13 Nov. 2025

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