silo

1 of 2

noun

si·​lo ˈsī-(ˌ)lō 

plural silos

1

: a trench, pit, or especially a tall cylinder (as of wood or concrete) usually sealed to exclude air and used for making and storing silage

2

a

: a deep bin for storing material (such as coal)

b

: an underground structure for housing a guided missile

These are weapons that can hit military targets, such as missile silos and headquarters, swiftly and accurately …

—Leslie H. Gelb

3

: an isolated grouping, department, etc., that functions apart from others especially in a way seen as hindering communication and cooperation

Examples of silos in blue-chip firms abound: Sony once had two separate divisions working on creating the same electrical plug without anyone realizing it.

—Rana Foroohar

To break down silos individual officials need a stronger sense of belonging to a bigger whole, with norms and expectations spanning all departments and agencies.

—David Walker

Moorhouse came to the paper determined to break down its "silos"—MBA-speak for self-contained departments that don't have anything to do with other departments in a business.

—Mark Fitzgerald

Illustration of silo

• silo 1

silo

2 of 2

verb

siloed; siloing; siloes

transitive verb

1

: to place or store (material, such as grain) in a silo

2

: to isolate (someone or something, such as a grouping or department) in a way that hinders communication and cooperation with others : to place (someone or something) in an isolated silo (see silo entry 1 sense 3)

One step banks can take to balance efforts, [Emmett] Higdon suggested, is to stop siloing mobile and online banking development efforts and channels.

—Nathan DiCamillo

Examples of silo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This prevents the organization from digitizing the silo instead of redesigning it. — Thomas Lim, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

North Korean military engineers—renowned for building massive subterranean installations—also helped Iran design and construct hardened missile silos, underground networks, and nuclear facility bunkers. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 17 Aug. 2026

Verb

But as our screens silo us further from the world, and further from ourselves, the prospect of being seen—or, for a moment, being even marginally beheld—becomes an intoxicating possibility. — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2026

During the Tuesday hearing, Warsh was also repeatedly asked about Fed independence and his ability to silo the unique federal agency from influence from the White House. — Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 14 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Spanish

First Known Use

Noun

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1981, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for silo

• milo

Kids Definition

silo

noun

si·​lo ˈsī-lō 

plural silos

1

: a trench, pit, or especially a tall cylinder (as of wood or concrete) used for making and storing silage

2

: an underground structure for housing a missile