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

Thanks to gallium nitride technology rather than the less efficient traditional silicon technology, the new charger can simultaneously supply six devices with up to 500W of power shared across six USB ports. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025

The suspect -- wearing a silicon mask -- shined a flashlight in the Hoffmans' faces, said there was a shooting reported in the house and asked if the couple had weapons, according to acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Joseph Thompson. —Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 16 June 2025

The rest of the items are a mixed bag with the headset and lint cloth solid, but the silicon grips that are supposed to protect the Joy-Con 2 controllers feel cheap. —Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 13 June 2025

Amazon made a similar deal with Anthropic, which is now using Amazon Web Services’ custom silicon to train its next frontier model. —Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 11 June 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