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

An accelerator stack is any piece of hardware that can be used to train AI workloads, while hyperscaler silicon refers to customized chips. — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 16 July 2026

Take apart an Owala bottle to clean it, removing the straw and any silicon gaskets or seals. — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2026

Satellite industry consultant Stuart Taylor told Ars that SpaceX might consider using a newer material called perovskite (there are some Internet rumors about this) instead of silicon, which could enable much lighter solar panels. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 15 July 2026

Since unveiling this prototype, Normal has announced a new thermodynamic computer called CN101 that uses digital processing on a silicon chip. — Quanta Magazine, 15 July 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