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

As the technology uses abundant silicon rather than volatile rare metals, it can be integrated into existing semiconductor manufacturing pipelines. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 June 2026

The company made some concessions in terms of features, IO and quality, leveraged some older, previous-generation silicon, and built a more affordable MacBook. — Marco Chiappetta, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

Sensor and silicon partners include Infineon, NXP, SICK, STMicroelectronics and Texas Instruments. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 June 2026

Nvidia is fundamentally rethinking the portable PC, treating its new RTX Spark platform not as a traditional gaming silicon upgrade, but as a blueprint for a high-end, on-device AI powerhouse. — New Atlas, 19 June 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