silicon

noun sil·i·con \ ˈsi-li-kən , ˈsi-lə-ˌkän \

|Updated on: 9 Aug 2018

Definition of silicon

: 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 ferrosilicon for steelmaking, in other alloys, and in semiconductors — see Chemical Elements Table

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Recent Examples of silicon from the Web

Solar panels generate electricity when sunlight hits the materials in the panels, typically silicon, and activates electrons that are captured and converted to usable electric current.

— paul gores, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Solar panels help power new Ikea store in Oak Creek," 13 July 2018
The original Hayabusa visited an S-type asteroid, a lighter variety made mostly of silicon.

— avery thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Japanese Sample Return Spacecraft Reaches Target Asteroid," 27 June 2018
The blue silicon of solar cells, the panels’ electricity-generating component, can withstand being mashed by many tons of weight.

— keith bradsher, New York Times, "Free Power From Freeways? China Is Testing Roads Paved With Solar Panels," 11 June 2018
Its chemical composition includes silicon, aluminum, oxygen, and iron.

— Washington Post, "Scientists study lava for clues to how volcano will behave," 16 May 2018
The physical weakness is the result of ever smaller dimensions of the silicon.

— dan goodin, Ars Technica, "Drive-by Rowhammer attack uses GPU to compromise an Android phone," 3 May 2018
Germans turned to China for cheap sources of crystalline silicon solar panels, not least because subsidised land and loans enabled China’s fledgling manufacturers to undercut European and American competitors.

— The Economist, "Can the solar industry survive without subsidies?," 14 June 2018
Perhaps most importantly, silicon solar panels have been tested for decades and proven durable while the lifespan of perovskites remains largely unknown.

— Time, "Inside the New Technology That Could Transform the Solar Power Industry," 4 June 2018
So the industry standard is to use silicon, run at 905 nanometers, and accept you just can’t send your lasers all that far.

— alex davies, WIRED, "Luminar's New Lidar Could Bring Vision to Every Robocar in the World," 12 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'silicon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of silicon

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1817

in the meaning defined above

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SILICON Defined for English Language Learners

silicon

noun

Definition of silicon for English Language Learners

: a chemical element that is found in the Earth's crust and is used especially in computers and electronics

SILICON Defined for Kids

silicon

noun sil·i·con \ ˈsi-li-kən , ˈsi-lə-ˌkän \

Definition of silicon for Students

: a chemical element that next to oxygen is the most common element in the earth's crust and is used especially in electronic devices

Medical Dictionary

silicon

noun sil·i·con \ ˈsil-i-kən , ˈsil-ə-ˌkän \

medical Definition of silicon

: 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

Learn More about silicon

See words that rhyme with silicon Spanish Central: Translation of silicon Nglish: Translation of silicon for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about silicon

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silicon

Definition of silicon

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silicon

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silicon

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