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 steady climb in the chip giant’s stock comes amid explosive AI demand, as giants like Meta, Amazon, Google and Microsoft snap up Nvidia’s silicon. —Katie Tarasov, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2026

Photons, which are packets of light energy, stream in from the Sun and strike a semiconductor material, typically silicon. —New Atlas, 13 Apr. 2026

For now, Anthropic is using silicon from a number of suppliers, including Google’s TPUs and Amazon’s Trainium chips. —Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026

The 78-year-old Gore, who served as vice president with President Clinton from 1993 to 2001 and is now chairman of Generation Investment Management, seemed to align himself with some of the youngest AI users in this take on silicon sentience. —Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 9 Apr. 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