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

For years, Nvidia's graphics processing units have been the silicon of choice for AI model companies like Anthropic and OpenAI, which kickstarted the AI boom with the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022. —Jordan Novet, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2026

Moreover, the method is compatible with various base layers, such as silicon and gallium nitride. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 24 Feb. 2026

And to avoid the appearance of simple wooden dolls as characters, Lavis and Szczerbowski had the heads of their puppets designed to look like old wood with multilayered oil painting that in reality are silicon molds placed on white plastic. —Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 23 Feb. 2026

However, those metals are part of the silicon. —Dana Taylor, USA Today, 23 Feb. 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